Visit 17th-century museum-like factory in Isfahan

TEHRAN – “Assarkhane” is a Persian word equivalent to a traditional oil-extracting factory where special mills are/were used to grind stuff such as stones, turmeric, and pepper. There were many Assarkhanes operational in every corner of Iran in the time of yore.

Restoration project starts on Bronze-Age objects found in northeast Iran

TEHRAN – A restoration and rehabilitation project has been commenced on 20 Bronze-Age relics which have recently been excavated by a team of Iranian and German archaeologists at Tepe Rivi, an ancient hill in northeastern North Khorasan province.

Prehistorical relics seized from smuggler in western Iran

TEHRAN - Iranian authorities have recently confiscated 167 relics from a smuggler in western Kermanshah province. The objects date back to the first and second centuries BC and middle Islamic eras as well.

A peek into Bronze-Age Tepe Gariran, a gateway to the “Old Routes of Western Iran”

TEHRAN – In 1931, the renowned British archaeologist Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862 – 1943) surveyed Tepe Gariran in western Iran along with several others across the ancient land. His views were published in November 1969 in a book titled “Old Routes of Western Iran: Narratives of an Archaeological Journey”.

Qajar-era subterranean garrison identified in northeast Iran

TEHRAN – An underground garrison, estimated to date from Qajar era (1789–1925), has been discovered near Bojnurd, the capital of North Khorasan province, northeast Iran.

Photo: ISNA/ Mahsa Ramezani

Harvest season brings new life to Iran’s Alamut

A farmer harvests red cherries in a garden on the outskirts of Alamut in Qazvin province, north-central Iran, June 29, 2020. The harvest season commenced couple of days ago in numerous lush gardens that are dotted in the mountainous region.

Shafei Jameh Mosque: a place of worship notable for atmospheric interior design

TEHRAN – Photos show the lavishly-decorated prayer hall of Shafei Jameh Mosque, which stands tall in the ancient city of Kermanshah in western Iran.

Ancient rock-carved motifs constitute open-air museum in west-central Iran

TEHRAN – A new survey by Iranian cultural heritage experts and officials has shed new light on hundreds of ancient rock-carved motifs, which are scattered near Maryanaj, constituting an open-air museum across west-central Iranian town.

Prehistorical petroglyph bearing Pahlavi script discovered in central Iran

TEHRAN – A prehistorical petroglyph, which bears Pahlavi script written by ordinary people of the time, has recently been found during an archaeological survey in Teymareh region of Khomein county, central Iran.

Khoy, an ancient town of sunflowers, snowcapped mountains

TEHRAN – Khoy may not be on every traveler’s radar, but it is a natural fit for eco-tourists as it offers loads of scenic hikes, panoramic views besides colorful geological features. Khoy has long been a melting pot of cultural exchange.

Clay-jar tombs, holding child corpses, unearthed in northwest Iran

TEHRAN – Two ancient clay-jar tombs, embracing child corpses, have recently been unearthed near Gerd Ashvan village, West Azarbaijan province, northwest Iran.

Centuries-old subterranean shelter found during well drilling

TEHRAN – A relatively-vast underground shelter which is estimated to date back to 250 years ago was accidentally found during a well drilling process at the premises of a private house in a village in Gonabad county, northeast Iran.

Excavations at Iranian mosque unearth new evidence on life in early Islamic era

TEHRAN – Some historical objects have been unearthed during a round of archaeological excavation, which is currently underway in a centuries-old congregational mosque in Rasht, the capital of Gilan province, northern Iran.

Archaeological survey to offer new glimpses of troglodytic architecture in northern Iran

TEHRAN – A team of Iranian archaeologists has started work on troglodyte shelters in a northern Iranian region, believing that they are still giving up long-buried secrets.

Sassanid-era fort in central Iran made a national heritage

TEHRAN – The ancient fort of Turan Posht, named after Turandokht who was a princess of Persia during the Sassanid era (224 CE–651), has recently been inscribed on the National Heritage List. The monument stands tall on a hillside in Taft county of Yazd province, central Iran.

All Iranian airports shielded against virus pandemic: EASA

TEHRAN – The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has recently published a list of airports worldwide it has concluded being shielded against the coronavirus outbreak, evaluating “all airports” in Iran as safe.

Discovery of bizarre tomb offers clues to ancient life in Isfahan

TEHRAN – The discovery of the second giant jar-tomb in the sole historical hill of Isfahan has shed new light on ancient human life in the central Iranian city.

Skiing without snow: forest ski resort to open in northwest Iran

TEHRAN – Forest skiing will be added to charms of touristic Ardebil province in northwest Iran this year.

Excavations reveal rare find of Bronze Age culture in Iran

TEHRAN – Iran has recently unearthed a rare Bronze Age culture, related settlements and relics following to rounds of excavation in a plain near the north-central city of Qom.

Aerial survey sheds new light on vast ancient city in southern Iran

TEHRAN – An in-depth aerial survey combined by series of field research has shed new light on remnants of a vast ancient city in southern Iran, which was once in the heart of the mighty Sassanid Empire in its heyday. The discovery has opened up a new window towards the urban engineering and Persian garden arrangements of the time.

Ancient glazed tiles discovered beneath congregational mosque

TEHRAN – A number of ancient glazed tiles have recently been discovered while a team of restorers was digging into the mihrab of a congregational mosque in Rasht, the capital of Gilan province, northern Iran.

15 sites of prehistoric petroglyphs identified in northwest Iran

TEHRAN - A total of fifteen archaeological sites, which embrace a wide variety of prehistoric petroglyphs and rock-carved arts, have been identified in the plains of Meshginshahr county, northwest of the country.  

By Afshin Majlesi

Iran’s trump cards to kick-start tourism in post-COVID-19 world

TEHRAN – As you are well aware, the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has plunged the travel and tourism industry in the global scene, disrupting life in ways that were unimaginable just a few months ago.

By Seyed Hossein Hosseiniseddiq

Shahroud, the land of five climates

Shahroud is the city of my ancestors and the summer city, where most of my childhood and adolescence summers were spent. A city where forests, mountains, and deserts meet. This feature has given the city a special tourist status, called the “small continent”. In this article, I will introduce some of the tourist attractions of this small continent.

Discover how pinnacle of art, genius of ancient architects turned natural arch into full-fledged stronghold

TEHRAN – A good amalgam of natural landscape and human genius has created what modern visitors witness at Sepahbod Khorshid Cave, which was once a unique defensive architecture during the Sassanid era (224–651 CE).

No restrictions for organizing package tours: deputy minister

TEHRAN – Iran’s deputy tourism minister Vali Teymouri has said that the ministry sees no restrictions for organizing package tours by travel agencies as far as health protocols to curb the coronavirus are observed.

Ancient watermill in central Iran restored for tourism

TEHRAN – An underground ancient watermill, which is said to be the biggest of its kind in Iran, has been restored by the private sector after decades of abandonment as a new destination for sightseers and history buffs.

New survey to shed light on troglodytic architecture in central Iran

TEHRAN – The second archaeological season will be started soon on Tarkhoran troglodytic architecture in Tafresh, central Markazi province, deputy provincial tourism chief Seyyed Mohsen Rahmati said on Thursday.

Another archaeological season to commence on Laodicea Temple

TEHRAN – A team of Iranian archaeologists is to conduct a fresh survey on the enigmatic Laodicea Temple, which is situated in the city of Nahavand, Hamedan province, west-central Iran.

Quake damages historical neighborhood in southwest Iran

TEHRAN – A magnitude 5.2 earthquake on Sunday caused minor harm to the historical neighborhood of Dehdasht, a city in Kohgiluyeh-Boyer Ahmad province, southwest Iran.