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2026-05-25 20:28
By Afshin Majlesi
Eco-lodges offer tourists a window into traditional rural life
TEHRAN - In the mountainous villages, desert settlements and forested regions of Iran, a growing network of eco-lodges has become more than a form of rural accommodation.
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2026-05-25 20:27
Shaneh Tarash revives traditional wooden comb craft to boost rural tourism
TEHRAN - A five-day workshop aimed at reviving the traditional craft of wooden comb making has been held in the village of Shaneh Tarash in northern Iran, local tourism officials said, as authorities seek to preserve indigenous handicrafts and strengthen community-based tourism.
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2026-05-24 23:13
Community participation drives sustainable tourism in Iran’s Pamenar village
TEHRAN - Nestled in the mountainous Shahiyun district of Dezful in southwestern Iran’s Khuzestan province, the village of Pamenar has emerged as a notable example of community-based sustainable tourism, where residents have combined traditional knowledge, environmental protection, and cultural heritage to create new economic opportunities while preserving their rural identity.
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2026-05-21 01:10
By Afshin Majlesi
Iran government pledges support for rural eco-lodges, village revival
TEHRAN - Iran’s government will continue efforts to remove barriers to rural development and support operators of eco-lodges as part of a broader strategy to revive villages and strengthen local economies and cultural identity, senior officials said on Tuesday at a national conference marking eco-lodge day.
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2026-05-19 19:56
Riab cited as model for community-based tourism
TEHRAN - The village of Riab in eastern Iran has emerged as a model for community-based tourism development and has been nominated as one of Iran’s candidates for the Best Tourism Villages program organized by the UN Tourism.
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2026-05-18 18:33
By Mojtaba Gahestuni
Pamenar: Where painted doors speak the language of identity
TEHRAN - Nestled in the northern reaches of Dezful in southwestern Khuzestan province, the ancient village of Pamenar has emerged as one of Iran’s most distinctive rural destinations, blending cultural heritage, environmental identity, and community-based tourism into a living narrative of local memory. In recent years, the village has increasingly drawn attention as a candidate for future international heritage recognition, not only because of its natural beauty and historical character, but also due to innovative efforts by residents to preserve and showcase their cultural identity.
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2026-05-17 17:54
By Afshin Majlesi
Riab assessed against UN Tourism criteria for global recognition
TEHRAN - Officials in Iran’s Khorasan Razavi province said the village of Riab in Gonabad County is being evaluated according to criteria set by the United Nations tourism body as part of its bid to be recognized among the world’s best tourism villages.
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2026-05-03 21:01
Ardabil to develop tourism-focused villages, boost infrastructure
TEHRAN - Ardabil province is moving forward with plans to organize rural areas around tourism development, allocating funding to designated villages and prioritizing infrastructure projects to support the sector, local officials said on Saturday.
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2026-04-19 18:58
Minister urges banks to boost investment in rural tourism to drive jobs
TEHRAN – Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts on Sunday called on the banking sector to play a greater role in financing rural tourism projects, saying the sector could support employment and economic development.
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2026-02-20 16:55
‘Sarborun’ ritual of Varamin’s village registered as an intangible heritage
TEHRAN – A local ritual known as ‘Sarborun’ in Hesar-e Hasan Beyk village of Varamin county, Tehran province, has been registered as an intangible heritage site.
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2026-02-09 14:55
Layalestan registered as Iran's bamboo weaving village
TEHRAN -- Director General of Gilan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department Yousef Salmankhah announced national registration of Leyalestan village in Gilan province as Iran's bamboo weaving village.
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2025-12-26 16:23
Ancient rock-cut grain stores highlight tourism potential of Ilam village
TEHRAN - An Iranian village in Ilam province is drawing attention for a series of rock-cut grain storage structures believed to be up to 800 years old
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2025-12-14 17:50
Digi and glimpses of culinary heritage in Qaleh Bala village
TEHRAN – A traditional dish known as Digi, prepared using a centuries-old method in Iran’s Qaleh Bala village, offers insight into the area’s indigenous culinary culture, reflecting local knowledge, communal practices and social traditions passed down through generations.
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2025-12-10 17:31
Women preserve ‘Tal-o Mahtal’ ritual for rain in Iran’s Qaleh Bala village
TEHRAN – The ancient rain-seeking ritual Tal-o Mahtal, observed in Iran’s Qaleh Bala village, is originated as a community response to recurring desert droughts and continues to be practiced today. The ceremony is listed as part of the national intangible cultural heritage.
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2025-12-02 17:36
Restoration work begins on centuries-old water mill
TEHRAN - Restoration and revitalization work has begun on an ancient water mill in Qaleh Bala, a touristic village in Shahrud county of Semnan province, according to the local heritage authority.
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2025-11-30 18:52
Qaleh Bala, a village where people celebrate endemic Iranian Ground-Jay
TEHRAN - For 14 years, the remote eco-friendly village of Qaleh Bala has welcomed wildlife enthusiasts to its unique “Journey to the Habitat of the Iranian Ground-Jay” festival — an annual event where residents and visitors come together to honor and protect one of Iran’s rarest native birds.
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2025-11-04 14:03
By Hani Rastegaran
Qaleh Bala Village: a model of solidarity, creativity, and local development
TEHRAN - Qaleh Bala, a village nestled on the southern slopes of Mount Shahvar where the dry expanse of the desert blends into the wind‑shaped hills of the Kharturan buffer zone, has become one of the most remarkable examples of community‑based rural development in Iran. Its people, who have long struggled with drought, isolation, and lack of infrastructure, have relied on social cohesion and a series of small yet persistent innovations to transform what was once a depopulating settlement into a destination for community‑led ecotourism.
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2025-10-18 09:12
By Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism
Rural heritage, global meaning: Iran’s villages as beacons of cultural sustainability
Today, as the UN Tourism Organization inscribed the three Iranian villages of Shafi’ Abad in Kerman, Kandolus in Mazandaran, and Sohaili on Qeshm Island among the Best Tourism Villages of the World 2025, a new chapter opened in the cultural diplomacy of our nation — a chapter in which rural life itself becomes a message to the world.
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2025-10-17 16:54
Varkaneh: a Renaissance village in heart of Alvand
TEHRAN-- In the lap of the beautiful Alvand Mountain and 20 kilometers from Hamedan, there is a village that its architecture reflects a picture of Europe during the Renaissance. This village is one of the most unique villages in Iran, with its houses made of stone and its buildings made of rubble stone, wood and mud mortar.
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2025-10-08 18:31
Two Lorestan villages can be nominated for world’s top tourist villages
TEHRAN—There are 11 target tourist villages across Lorestan province, of which two villages, namely Bisheh and Kapar Judaki, have the potential to be nominated for registration in the world's top tourist villages list.
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2025-09-26 17:36
Long-lasting mulberry tree registered on Natural Heritage List
TEHRAN - Isfahan Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department Amir Karamzadeh gave news of the registration of the ancient mulberry tree of Sarasiab village in Badrud, Natanz county, Isfahan province, on Iran’s Natural Heritage List.
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2025-09-23 17:25
Baba Shams hill links history, nature, and agriculture in Ilam
TEHRAN – Scattered pottery fragments, historic aqueducts, and the proximity of the Karzan River point to ancient settlements at Baba Shams hill, located on the western edge of a village of the same name, according to Habibollah Mahmoudian, a specialist in prehistoric archaeology.
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2025-06-30 17:44
Cool escapes from Tehran's summer heat: destinations to visit
TEHRAN - As the summer sun blazes over Tehran, many residents and visitors alike search for refreshing retreats to escape the heat.