Iran earns $7.4 billion from foreign tourism in past year

TEHRAN – Iran generated about $7.4 billion from foreign tourism in the past Iranian calendar year (ended in March 2025), with more than 7 million international visitors arriving in the country, the culture minister said on Thursday.

Archaeologists uncover lusterware fragments, Islamic-era ruins in Isfahan excavation

TEHRAN – Archaeologists in Iran have recently unearthed fragments of Persian lusterware ceramics, historical coins, and remnants of Islamic-era architecture during the second phase of excavations at Kamar-Zarrin passage in Isfahan, a local official said on Thursday.

Family tourism route focuses on Tehran’s historical monuments

TEHRAN—Family tourism route with focus on historical and cultural monuments, creates the possibility of easy visit for all ages and boosts promoting tourism sector of Municipal District 12 of Tehran, said Mayer of Tehran’s District 12 Mohammad Ayini.

Iran to host intl. Lut Desert tourism conference focused on investment, sustainability

TEHRAN – An international conference on tourism in Iran’s Lut Desert will be held with a focus on investment and sustainable development, a provincial tourism official said on Wednesday.

6,000-year-old fishing village reveals ancient maritime diet and fishing technology in Iran’s Makran

TEHRAN - Archaeologists working at the Koupal site in Dashtyari county, southeast Iran, have uncovered remarkable evidence of a 6,000-year-old fishing settlement, providing detailed insights into ancient maritime subsistence strategies.

Azerbaijan Airlines to resume Tehran flights, launch new Tabriz route in September

TEHRAN – Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) is set to expand its services to Iran by resuming flights to Tehran and launching a new route to Tabriz in September, aimed at improving connectivity between the two neighboring countries.

Football match held between Iran, Tajikistan to boost tourism

TEHRAN-Deputy head of Tehran Tourism Department gave news of holding a football match between Iranian art stars and Tajik art stars with the aim of attracting tourists.

Kermanshah province holds handicraft exhibitions during Arbaeen

TEHRAN—Head of Kermanshah Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department announced sales of 70 billion rials ($77,777) at the province's handicraft exhibitions during Arbaeen, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, marking the end of a 40-day mourning period following the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) and his companions at the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE. Each year, millions of Shia Muslims from around the globe undertake this pilgrimage to Karbala, walking hundreds of kilometers as an expression of their faith and devotion.

Study of ancient rock-carved structures launched in Kermanshah

TEHRAN – A project to study, document, and conduct laboratory research on ancient rock-carved structures in Kermanshah province has begun, an archaeologist who leads the project said on Monday.

'Iran, The Land of Legends' hits bookstore shelves

TEHRAN – “Iran, The Land of Legends” is the latest publication by acclaimed photographer and artist Davoud Vakilzadeh, produced in collaboration with the National Museum of Iran.

Tajik bloggers tour Tehran

TEHRAN— A number of bloggers from Tajikistan have been invited to Iran by the private sector to boost tourism between Iran and Tajikistan, said the deputy head of Tehran Tourism Department.

Iran to open five new ‘sacred defense’ museums dedicated to 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War

TEHRAN – Iran plans to open five new museums dedicated to the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, known domestically as the “sacred defense,” by late this year or by May 2026 at the latest, an official said on Saturday.

Iran tourism gems to be highlighted in five intl. fairs

TEHRAN--The CEO of Touring and Automobile Club of the Islamic Republic of Iran (TACI) emphasized that one of the missions assigned by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts to TACI is to hold Iranian tourism and handicraft exhibitions abroad.

Mashhad is to host over 6.5 million pilgrims, governor-general says

TEHRAN – Mashhad, Iran’s holiest city, is expected to host between 6.5 million and 7 million pilgrims during the last ten days of the Islamic lunar month of Safar, the governor-general of Khorasan Razavi province said.

Fars province, cradle of the Achaemenid Empire, seeks tourism rise

TEHRAN – Iran’s Fars province, home to ancient Achaemenid sites including Persepolis and Pasargadae, recorded 7.4 million tourist visits last year, officials said, as the government steps up efforts to position the region as a leading cultural tourism hub.

By Nafise Hajati

Iranian influencers highlight India’s heritage at Tehran event

TEHRAN – “Iran and India share a timeless heritage, reflected in Bihar’s ancient sites,” the Indian ambassador to Iran said at a recent cultural gathering in Tehran.

Ancient carving shows Assyrian soldiers using goat skins to cross river 2,900 years ago

TEHRAN – A 2,900-year-old carved panel from the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud shows soldiers swimming across a river using inflatable goat skins, according to the British Museum.

Tehran launches China-focused tourism marketing course with UN support

TEHRAN – Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts has launched an online training program on tourism marketing aimed at attracting Chinese visitors, with support from the UN Tourism (United Nations World Tourism Organization), an official said on Thursday.

Sasanian ossuary inscription discovered at Naqsh-e Rostam

TEHRAN – Archaeologists have uncovered a funerary inscription linked to an ossuary from the late Sasanian period at the Naqsh-e Rostam archaeological site in Marvdasht, southern Iran.

Iran’s culture minister calls for accelerated excavations at ancient city of Istakhr

TEHRAN – Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts has urged faster archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Istakhr in southern Iran, citing the site’s historical importance and the need for stronger protection against illegal digging.

Iran monitors subsidence at UNESCO-listed Gonbad-e Qabus tower

TEHRAN – Iranian heritage authorities are carrying out subsidence monitoring and technology studies on the UNESCO-listed Gonbad-e Qabus tower in Golestan province, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.

Sassanid-era Vigol fire temple undergoes restoration

TEHRAN – Restoration work has commenced on the Vigol fire temple, a rare archaeological site from the Sassanid era located in the central province of Isfahan, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.

Over 2.6 million Arbaeen pilgrims exit Iran via land borders; Mehran most crowded

TEHRAN – More than 2.6 million pilgrims crossed Iran’s six land borders to enter Iraq for Arbaeen between July 26 and August 8, Iranian road management officials reported on Saturday.

8,000-year-old Tepe Sialk proposed for UNESCO World Heritage listing

TEHRAN - Tepe Sialk, a c. 8,000-year-old archaeological site in Kashan, central Iran, has been placed on Iran’s shortlist of potential UNESCO World Heritage sites, an official said, as efforts to resolve legal and conservation issues around the site’s protected area gain momentum.

National Museum of Iran celebrates UNESCO inscription of Khorramabad Valley Prehistoric Sites

TEHRAN – A ceremony marking the UNESCO World Heritage inscription of the Prehistoric Sites of Khorramabad Valley took place on Tuesday at the National Museum of Iran.

By Afshin Majlesi

Restoration of Arnaldo Pomodoro’s 3-ton bronze sphere underway in Tehran

TEHRAN - Conservation work has begun on a 3,000-kilogram bronze sculpture by the late Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro at a museum in northern Tehran.

Gilan among top provinces in tourism field

TEHRAN—Gilan province is among top provinces in tourism field, said a senior tourism official, Javad Vahedi.

1000-year-old carved tombstone discovered in UNESCO-listed Yazd

TEHRAN - A historic tombstone dating back almost 1,000 years has been uncovered during restoration work at Dowlatshahi Mosque in the UNESCO-listed city of Yazd, central Iran.