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Yesterday 17:11
Fatatu Forest, a hidden natural retreat in northern Iran
TEHRAN - Tucked away in the rural landscape of northern Iran, Fatatu Forest is a natural attraction in Khomam county, Gilan province, offering visitors a peaceful escape among lush vegetation, wetlands, rice fields and the landscapes of the southern Caspian coast. Recognized for its ecological importance and its surviving Hyrcanian forest vegetation, the woodland holds considerable potential for nature-based tourism, although limited visitor facilities remain a challenge.
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Yesterday 17:07
Restoration of Isfahan’s Chehel Sotoun palace awaits UNESCO funding
TEHRAN - Restoration of Iran’s UNESCO-listed Chehel Sotoun palace and garden is awaiting additional funding from the government and UNESCO, as experts assess structural damage to the Safavid-era monument following a 40-day war with the US and Israeli forces, the site’s director said.
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2026-10-24 18:38
Beyond Iran’s famous cities: villages that deserve a place on every traveler’s itinerary
TEHRAN - Iran’s historical cities are renowned for their grand mosques, Persian gardens, traditional bazaars and Silk Road heritage. Yet beyond the familiar destinations of Isfahan, Shiraz and Yazd, to name a few, lies another side of the country: a landscape of mountain villages, ancient mud-brick settlements and rural communities whose traditions offer a different perspective on Iranian life.
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2026-10-20 15:59
By Afshin Majlesi
Iran and Uzbekistan: Where shared history comes alive in Tashkent
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan - As an Iranian journalist visiting Tashkent, I found myself looking at the huge Islamic Civilization Center from two perspectives. I was a visitor discovering the depth of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage. I was also an Iranian looking for familiar traces of a civilization that has never respected the borders drawn on today’s maps.
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2026-10-18 16:59
Crafting and playing the oud: A living musical heritage in Iran
TEHRAN – With its resonant melodies and distinctive pear-shaped body, the oud has long been part of the musical traditions of Iran and the wider West Aisa. Its craftsmanship and performance, sustained through generations of makers and musicians, received international recognition in 2022 when Iran and Syria jointly inscribed the tradition on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
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2026-10-16 16:06
Iran issues post-war tourism recovery and competitiveness strategy
TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism ministry has issued a strategic and operational plan to revive the country’s tourism industry during the transition and post-war periods, with a focus on rebuilding its international tourism brand, improving competitiveness and coordinating recovery measures nationwide.
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2026-10-13 18:07
By Afshin Majlesi
North Khorasan, the province I almost missed
TEHRAN - A friend’s suggestion was all it took to set me on the road to North Khorasan, one of the few Iranian provinces I had never visited and, until then, had rarely considered as a travel destination.
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2026-10-12 17:20
By Afshin Majlesi
Jajarm offers budget-friendly rural escape, but rail links need improvement
JAJARM, North Khorasan Province – With its quiet rural surroundings, historical railway station and proximity to protected natural areas, Jajarm has the potential to attract travelers seeking an affordable alternative to Iran’s busier tourist destinations. But poor railway facilities, limited train tickets and a shortage of visitor services remain major obstacles to turning that potential into a thriving tourism destination.
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2026-10-12 15:13
Peace must remain at the heart of UNESCO’s mission: Iran
TEHRAN –Secretary-General of Iran’s National Commission for UNESCO Hassan Fartousi has underlined the importance of preserving peace at the heart of UNESCO’s mission, and urged National Commissions for UNESCO to play a more active and responsible role in sustaining lasting regional and global peace while delivering a talk at the Traditional Meeting of UNESCO National Commissions.
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2026-10-07 21:20
15 destinations to discover the soul of Iran
TEHRAN - Iran is a country of striking contrasts. In one journey, travelers can move from bustling historic bazaars to quiet desert towns, from ancient archaeological sites to misty Caspian forests and from the mountains of the Zagros to the warm waters of the Persian Gulf.
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2026-10-05 17:03
Heritage is identity: Iranian archaeologist exposes scale of war destruction to historic sites
TEHRAN – An Iranian archaeologist, Sonia Shidrang, highlighted in a global webinar hosted by the International Committee on Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM), a scientific committee under ICOMOS, that the 40-day war with the United States and the Israeli regime left 149 historical sites across 20 provinces damaged, and that Iran's cultural heritage now demands a response grounded in international law, rigorous documentation, and a concrete protection plan.
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2026-10-04 16:54
By Afshin Majlesi
Iran has the attractions, the challenge is turning them into tourism: Javad Gharaei
TEHRAN - Iran does not lack tourism attractions. What it has struggled to do, says Iranian traveler and documentary filmmaker Javad Gharaei, is turn the country’s extraordinary natural and cultural diversity into a tourism industry capable of attracting visitors, generating revenue and properly introducing the ancient country to the world.
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2026-10-04 15:21
Iran urges UNESCO to help restore scientific infrastructure damaged in war
TEHRAN – The head of the National Committee for Management of Social Transformations (MOST) has called for UNESCO to play an effective role in safeguarding knowledge, ensuring uninterrupted access to learning, and rebuilding academic centers damaged during the US-Israeli imposed war against the country.
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2026-10-03 10:43
Resilience key to Iran’s tourism survival under difficult conditions: HEGTA chief
TEHRAN - Resilience and a fundamental rethink of planning are essential for Iran’s tourism sector as rising travel costs, transport and investment constraints, sanctions and regional conditions put pressure on the industry, the head of the Tourism Group of Iran’s Social Security Organization (HEGTA) said on Friday.
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2026-10-03 00:56
Iran, UNESCO discuss stronger intl. cooperation to protect World Heritage sites
TEHRAN - Iran and UNESCO have discussed expanding technical and international cooperation to assess, document, restore and protect Iran’s World Heritage sites, including properties reportedly damaged during the recent war.
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2026-09-29 18:17
Archaeological remains from Italian excavations at Isfahan mosque to be reassessed
ISFAHAN – Archaeological findings uncovered by Italian archaeologists at Isfahan’s historic Jameh Mosque about six decades ago are set to undergo a new review, the director of the UNESCO-listed site has announced.
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2026-09-28 16:51
By Afshin Majlesi
Tehran gallery traces capital’s past, explores future of smart tourism
TEHRAN – A new gallery in Tehran is taking visitors on a journey through the capital’s political, social, cultural and artistic history while using digital technology and artificial intelligence to offer a glimpse of how tourism in the city could evolve in the future.
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2026/09/27
By Afshin Majlesi
Where the road became a destination: Iran’s historical caravanserais
TEHRAN - For centuries, crossing Iran was as much a test of endurance as it was a journey of discovery. Merchants moved goods between distant markets, pilgrims traveled toward sacred places, and ordinary travelers followed routes across deserts, mountains and plains. Between these long stretches of road stood caravanserais, places where a journey could pause, animals could be rested, goods could be protected and strangers could share food, stories and news.
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2026-09-26 17:31
Conservation project launched for Sasanian King Shapur I statue in southern Iran
TEHRAN – The first phase of a new conservation and rehabilitation project has begun on the monumental statue of Sasanian King Shapur I in Shapur Cave, near Kazerun in southern Iran, the head of the Sasanian Archaeological Landscape of Fars said.
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2026-09-25 14:56
UNESCO chair in disaster risk reduction, resilience engineering inaugurated
TEHRAN – Minister of Science, Research, and Technology Hossein, Simaei-Sarraf, and the Secretary-General of Iran’s National Commission for UNESCO, Hassan Fartousi, inaugurated the UNESCO Chair in Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Engineering at Kharazmi University on Tuesday.
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2026-09-23 21:03
Iranian president addresses UN General Assembly
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, September 23, outlining Iran’s positions on the war with the United States, regional tensions, diplomacy and the country’s peaceful nuclear program.
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2026-09-20 14:16
By Afshin Majlesi
In Urmia, the grape is more than a fruit
URMIA, West Azarbaijan Province - By late afternoon, the road out of Urmia was beginning to clog. Our flight had landed around 5 p.m., and after a quick check-in at the hotel, we set off for Chi Chest Coastal Village, near Lake Urmia, where the 9th Urmia Grape Festival was underway from Sep.10 to 20.
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2026-09-18 21:12
The pomegranate: A fruit at the heart of Iran’s cultural heritage
TEHRAN – The annual pomegranate harvest feast, one of Iran’s oldest agricultural celebrations, brings together villagers, visitors and returning residents in a traditional ceremony that combines fruit picking with music, local customs and cultural activities.
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2026-09-16 12:37
Ancient iron-smelting site discovered in Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran
TEHRAN – Archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient metal-smelting site in the forested highlands of Sowme’eh Sara in northern Iran, a find that could shed new light on the history of metallurgy in the western Alborz Mountains.
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2026-09-15 20:48
UN fact-finding mission holds US responsible for deadly attack on Kuhestak wedding
TEHRAN — The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran has held the United States responsible for a deadly airstrike on a wedding celebration in Kuhestak, Hormozgan Province, warning that repeated attacks causing civilian casualties raise serious questions about Washington’s compliance with international humanitarian law.
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2026-09-14 17:31
Iran ranks 10th with 30 UNESCO World Heritage sites
TEHRAN - Iran ranks 10th worldwide with 30 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, according to the UN cultural body, placing the country among the world's leading holders of internationally recognized cultural and natural heritage.
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2026-09-14 15:43
Iran censures US deliberate destruction of development at Human Rights Council
TEHRAN –The Secretary-General of Iran’s National Commission for UNESCO has elaborated on the deliberate destruction of development by the US through adopting coercive sanctions and launching military aggressions against the country.
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2026-09-13 17:14
By Afshin Majlesi
A different way to travel: Azadeh Abedinzadeh explains
TEHRAN - Tourism is often measured by the visitors it attracts and the income they generate. But what if its success could also be measured by the forests it helps protect, the traditions it keeps alive and the opportunities it creates for local communities? This is the thinking behind regenerative tourism, an approach that seeks to move beyond reducing tourism’s negative impacts and toward restoring and strengthening the places people visit.
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2026-09-09 16:21
UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace undergoes emergency restoration
TEHRAN – The second phase of a comprehensive conservation and restoration program at Tehran’s Golestan Palace has begun, with priority given to preventing further damage before the onset of the rainy season, the head of the UNESCO-listed complex said on Wednesday.
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2026-09-06 20:06
Restoration work continues at Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili shrine complex
TEHRAN – Conservation, restoration and infrastructure projects are underway at the UNESCO-registered Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble in northwestern Iran, the head of the World Heritage site said.