By Afshin Majlesi

Shams Tabrizi mausoleum gets major boost with new funding

KHOY, West Azarbaijan province – The Iranian government has allocated 30 trillion rials (approximately $375,000) to advance the long-delayed construction of the mausoleum of Shams Tabrizi, the famed Sufi mystic and spiritual mentor of the celebrated Persian poet Rumi.

Bangladesh ambassador visits historical attractions in Urmia, northwest Iran

TEHRAN - The Ambassador of Bangladesh to Iran, Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, has visited the city of Urmia in northwest Iran, where he toured several of its prominent historical and cultural landmarks.

Remnants of Sassanid architecture identified in Urmia mosque

TEHRAN—Remnants of Sassanid architecture have been identified during archeological excavations at the Jameh Mosque of Urmia in West Azarbaijan province, the provincial tourism chief said.

Direct flights to be launched between Urmia and Istanbul

TEHRAN - A new direct flight route between Urumia, the capital of Iran’s West Azarbaijan province, and Istanbul is set to be launched within days.

Archaeologists uncover ancient iron production site south of Lake Urmia

TEHRAN - For the first time, archaeologists have discovered a historic iron production site in the Vesta Sheikh area south of Lake Urmia, northwest Iran.

Honey production in West Azarbaijan anticipated to rise 10%

TEHRAN- Production of honey in West Azarbaijan province, in the northwest of Iran, is expected to increase by 10 percent in the current Iranian calendar year (ends on March 20, 2025), according to a provincial official.

Armenian group visits historical sites in northwest Iran

TEHRAN - A group of Armenian nationals recently visited historical and religious sites in West Azarbaijan province as part of a familiarization tour organized by the provincial Department of Cultural Heritage and Tourism.

Turkish border governors-general visit counterpart in northwest Iran

TEHRAN - In the context of the 7th Joint Cooperation Meeting between Turkey’s border provinces and Iran’s West Azarbaijan, the governors-general of Iğdır, Ağrı, Van, and Hakkari provinces have visited their Iranian counterpart to discuss ways to expand ties.

Pilgrims flock to St. Thaddeus for Badarak ritual

TEHRAN – St. Thaddeus Church, also known as Qareh Klise (“the Black Church”), a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Chaldoran, northwest Iran, is set to host the 70th annual Badarak ritual from October 13 to 15.

Rare copy of Holy Quran donated to Naqadeh Museum

TEHRAN – The Head of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts office in Naqadeh announced the donation of a rare copy of the Holy Quran to the city's museum.

Visits to millennia-old Hasanlu jumps twofold in Q1

TEHRAN – The number of visits to Teppeh Hasanlu, an archaeological hill that dates some 8,000 years, has been doubled to 3,200 people in the first quarter of this Persian year (started on March 20) compared to the same period a year earlier, according to a local official.

West Azarbaijan shines bright with $37m of handicrafts export

TEHRAN – Iran’s West Azarbaijan has exported more than $37 million worth of handicrafts in less than three years, a local official made public.

Qalaichi’s ancient necropolis excavated for the first time

TEHRAN – The first archaeological season is currently underway at an ancient necropolis associated with the Qalaichi site, which was once the capital of the Mannaean kingdom from the 10th to 7th centuries BC.

Hasanlu Gold Bowl dazzles as a flagship at Urmia Museum

TEHRAN – After more than a month of display at the Urmia Museum, Hasanlu Gold Bowl, one of the most enigmatic ancient treasures of Iran, still shines bright drawing visitors.

West Azarbaijan museums welcome 50k visitors in two months

TEHRAN - In a remarkable surge of cultural interest, West Azarbaijan’s museums have attracted more than 50,000 visitors, throughout the very first two months of the current Persian year (started on March 20).

Gold Bowl of Hasanlu to go on view at Urmia Museum

TEHRAN - The millennia-old Gold Bowl of Hasanlu, a significant archaeological find named after the location where it was excavated some 66 years ago, will be showcased at the Urmia Museum of Archaeology in celebration of Cultural Heritage Week.

West Azarbaijan’s Nowruz tourism peaks at Takht-e Soleyman

TEHRAN – On Thursday evening, West Azarbaijan’s director-general of tourism announced that Takht-e Soleyman, a UNESCO-listed site, has hosted the highest number of visitors in the province in the course of the Nowruz holidays.

Improving border terminals crucial for tourism in West Azarbaijan province

TEHRAN – Morteza Safari, the Director-General of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism in West Azarbaijan, has underscored the pivotal role of organized border terminals in boosting tourism and ensuring visitor satisfaction at historical and tourist sites of the province.

West Azarbaijan invests $130 million in tourism projects

TEHRAN – In a bid to boost tourism infrastructure, Iran’s West Azarbaijan province has allocated an investment of 65 trillion rials (some $130 million) for the execution of 50 tourism projects, the provincial tourism chief said on Tuesday.

Handicraft exports from West Azarbaijan reach $10 million in nine months

TEHRAN – The deputy of handicrafts at West Azarbaijan’s tourism directorate announced that handicraft exports from the province have reached $10 million during the current year's nine months.

Turkish travel insiders visit Iran on fam tour

TEHRAN – On Wednesday, a group of Turkish travel insiders started a familiarization tour of attractions in Iran’s West Azarbaijan province.

‘Throne of Solomon’: UNESCO-listed temple to hire guides fluent in foreign languages

TEHRAN – The UNESCO-designated Takht-e Soleyman, which was once a prime fire temple of the Zoroastrian faith in ancient Persia, intends to hire several multilingual tour guides to help enrich visits made by foreign nationals.

West Azarbaijan enjoys elements for well-off agritourism

TEHRAN - West Azerbaijan has high potential for the development of agritourism, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.

Salvage dig unearthes rare Sassanid graves in northwest Iran

TEHRAN – A salvage dig in northwest Iran has unearthed arrays of rare funerary tomb chambers estimated to date from the Sassanid era.

Sanandaj to host regional exhibit of handicrafts

TEHRAN—Sanandaj, which is a UNESCO-designated Creative City of Music, is set to host a regional exhibit on handicrafts in the near future.

Archaeologists investigate Jameh Mosque of Urmia

TEHRAN – Little archaeological work has been carried out at the Jameh Mosque of Urmia, as experts believe the mosque in northwest Iran bears cultural heritage from various eras.