Photo contest to spotlight UNESCO-tagged Soltaniyeh, nearby monuments

The cultural heritage and tourism directorate of Iran’s Zanjan province is set to launch a photography contest on the UNESCO-registered Dome of Soltaniyeh and its surrounding historical and touristic sites. Competitors are requested to post works to the Instagram account of the directorate from January 31 to February 9, provincial tourism chief Amir Arjmand announced on Tuesday.  A panel of professional media photographers will be judging the contest, and winners will be honored with exquisite prizes, the official said.   “This competition is to be held to highlight the importance of preserving natural and cultural heritage, monuments, antiquities, museums that exist in [the city of] Soltaniyeh,” he said. The UNESCO-listed Mausoleum of Oljaytu, which is commonly known as “Dome of Soltaniyeh” (Soltaniyeh Cupola), is one of Iran’s must-visit destinations for those interested in traditional Persian and genuine Islamic architecture. The mausoleum is surmounted by one of the largest brick domes in the globe, though some mistakenly refer to it as “the largest dome in the world”. Meaning “Town of the Sultans”, Soltaniyeh was briefly the capital of Persia’s Ilkhanid dynasty (a branch of the Mongol dynasty) during the 14th century. According to UNESCO, the Mausoleum of Oljaytu is an essential link and key monument in the development of Islamic architecture in central and western Asia. Here, the Ilkhanids further developed ideas that had been advanced during the classical Seljuk phase (11th to early 13th centuries), during which the arts of Iran gained distinction in the Islamic world, thereby setting the stage for the Timurid period (late 14th to 15th centuries), one of the most brilliant periods in Islamic art. UNESCO says, “Excavations carried out in the 790-ha Mausoleum of Oljaytu property have revealed additional vestiges of the old city, and a large part of this property has retained its archaeological character. As the ancient capital of the Ilkhanid dynasty, Soltaniyeh represents an exceptional testimony to the history of the 13th and 14th centuries in Iran.” The very large dome is the earliest extant example of its type and became an important reference for the later development of the Islamic dome. Similarly, the extremely rich interior of the mausoleum, which includes glazed tiles, brickwork, marquetry, or designs in inlaid materials, stucco, and frescoes, illustrates an important movement towards more elaborate materials and themes.

Lesser-known province seeks to gain foothold on tourism map

Some 41 tourism-related projects are currently underway across Iran’s southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, the provincial tourism chief has said. These projects will boost tourism and develop travel infrastructure in the region when they finally come on stream, Majid Safai announced on Thursday. A four-star hotel and a water park are among the important projects being carried out in collaboration with the private sector, the official added. He also noted that with the inauguration of the mentioned projects, more job opportunities will be created in the tourism sector, which will lead to better income for the locals.  Last September, a provincial tourism official announced that over one trillion rials (some $24 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) was allocated to nine tourism projects across the province. He also mentioned that developing tourism infrastructure in the province is one of the province’s tourism department priorities and is being pursued seriously. The lesser-known is home to various nomads and is a top destination for those interested in visiting in person the nomadic life. Sightseers may live with a nomadic or rural family for a while or enjoy an independent stay and assist them with day-to-day life. It also opens up an opportunity to feel rustic routines, their agriculture, traditions, arts, and culture. The province attracted over four million people, mostly domestic travelers, during the Iranian year 1397 (ended March 2019), according to data announced by the provincial tourism department.

Impact of handicrafts now visible on Iranian economy, tourism minister says

Iranian tourism minister has hailed the impact of handicrafts businesses on the economy of the country, saying its results are now evident on people's jobs and their livelihoods.  “Unlike large projects and businesses, whose economic outcomes mostly appear in the long run, the impact of small businesses is now visible [in the field of handicrafts]” Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said on Monday.  Paying attention to the small businesses will lead to justice and the fair distribution of wealth, the official added. However, comparing small businesses with large investments is short-sighted as the small businesses receive the least support, while balancing these two fields seems important as well, he explained.  While large businesses are mostly financed by the government, small businesses help improve people’s economy therefore the latter needs special attention, the minister said.  Elsewhere in his remarks, Mounesan said that the small businesses in the field of handicrafts could be created with a small amount of investment, which could be a solution for one of the most important issues in the country, which is unemployment. To support artisans and crafters as much as possible, commercializing of handicrafts has been started which is expected to have a good effect on the hand-made products’ marketing and sales, he added.  Earlier this week, the minister said that the sale of handicrafts is partly related to the prosperity of tourism and the presence of foreign tourists in the country.  He also said that the national budget bill for the next calendar year (starting on March 20) has proposed 70 trillion rials (about $1.7 billion) to support tourism businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. With 14 entries, Iran ranks first globally for the number of cities and villages registered by the World Crafts Council, as China with seven entries, Chile with four, and India with three ones come next. In January 2020, the cities of Shiraz, Malayer, and Zanjan and the village of Qassemabad were designated by the WCC- Asia Pacific Region, putting Iran’s number of world crafts cities and villages from ten to 14. Shiraz was named a “world city of [diverse] handicrafts”. Malayer was made a global hub for woodcarving and carved-wood furniture. Zanjan gained the title of a “world city of filigree”. And Qassemabad village, which is nationally known for its traditional costumes, was also promoted to a world hub of handicrafts. Chador Shab, a kind of homemade outer-garment for women, was, however, the main subject for the WCC assessment for the village. Back in May, deputy tourism minister Pouya Mahmoudian said that some 295 fields of handicrafts are currently practiced across Iran with more than two million people engaging, the majority of whom are women. She also noted that handicrafts play an important role in the economy in rural areas. Iran exported $523 million worth of handicrafts during the past calendar year 1398 (ended March 19). Of the figure, some $273 million worth of handicrafts were exported officially through customs, and about $250 million was earned via suitcase trade (allowed for customs-free and tax-free transfer) through various provinces, according to data provided by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts. Ceramics, pottery vessels, handwoven cloths as well as personal ornamentations with precious and semi-precious gemstones are traditionally exported to Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, the U.S., the UK, and other countries.

Five tourism projects to come on stream in Bushehr

A total of five tourism-related projects are scheduled to be inaugurated in southwestern Bushehr province, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said. Two hotels, a tourist complex, an eco-lodge unit, and a traditional restaurant will come on stream by the end of the current Iranian month of Bahman (February 18), Sakineh Salari said on Monday. A budget of 2.1 trillion rials ($50.5 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been allocated to the projects, which will generate over 127 job opportunities for the locals, she noted.She also noted that as the province enjoys several natural and historical attractions, establishing such centers and providing needed services will attract more domestic and foreign tourists to the region. Last April, the provincial tourism chief Mohammad-Hossein Arastuzadeh announced that the tourism sector of the province is ready to jumpstart after the coronavirus crisis ends. He also stressed that the province needs innovative plans and programs to attract more tourists and travelers to its tourist attractions and historical sites.With over 6,000 years of history and significant monuments from the Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras, Bushehr Province is one of Iran’s most important historical centers.Besides its cultural heritage, beautiful beaches and lush palm groves make it an attractive destination for world travelers.The historical and architectural monuments of Bushehr include Islamic buildings like mosques and praying centers, mansions, old towers, castles, as well as gardens.When it comes to cultural attractions, there are many historical mounds in Bushehr including Tall-e Khandaq with Sassanid architectural style, Tall-e Marv located near an Achaemenid Palace, and Qajar era Malek al-Tojar Mansion. Qajar era Kazeruni Mansion, which has been inscribed on the World Heritage List, is another attraction that world travelers love to see among various ancient sites.

Sa’dabad historical complex reopens as virus curbs eased

The Sa’dabad Cultural-Historical Complex on Tuesday reopened its doors to the public as some restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic have been relaxed in Tehran.According to the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, Tehran province is in the low-risk “yellow” zone and museums and historical sites across the province could reopen and resume their activities. Iran closed cultural heritage museums and historical sites across the country in a preventive measure amid fears of coronavirus outbreak last February, but as the coronavirus lockdown was eased, they were reopened in early May.Due to a sharp rise in the number of coronavirus infections and deaths, museums and all art and cultural centers, universities, schools, seminaries, English schools, libraries, movie theaters, mosques, beauty salons, and several other entities went on lockdown during July.The closure continued during November over the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, Mohammadreza Kargar, the tourism ministry’s director for museums and historical properties announced that Iranian museums and historical sites have taken 600 billion rials (about $14.2 million) hit from the coronavirus outbreak.If the country was in normal condition, the museums would host over 25 million visitors, but now they have faced a huge loss as there is almost no visitor to the museums, he noted.In October, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan warned that Iran’s cultural heritage and tourism would be in a critical situation if the crises caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus would be continuing.With the outbreak of the coronavirus, museums were at the forefront of closures and for several months now, they have not had any revenue from the sale of tickets, Mounesan explained.Meanwhile, the ministry is facing a shortage of funds in the field of cultural heritage, which causes problems for maintaining and preserving 34,000 National Heritage properties as well as 24 UNESCO-tagged sites, the official explained.It was estimated that museums would earn about 300 billion rials (about $7.1 million) in the first quarter of the year, but over the coronavirus pandemic they did not even come close to this figure, he added.In July, Mounesan said that revenues from museums were almost eight billion rials (about $190,000) during the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20, 2020), a sharp decline compared to around 300 billion rials (over $7 million) in the same period last year. Earlier this week, the minister said that Iran’s tourism has suffered a loss of over 140 trillion rials (about $3.33 billion) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Sprawled on about 110 hectares of a mountainside parkland in northern Tehran, the Sadabad Cultural-Historical Complex is used to be a royal summer residence during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras.The complex was initially established and inhabited by some Qajar monarchs in the 19th century. It has undergone further expansions from the 1920s until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The site embraces a variety of buildings, some of which turned to be house museums showcasing a wide range of royal families’ memorabilia including lavishly-made furniture, dishware, automobiles, carpets, and miniature paintings.

Coronavirus causes $59m damage to Hamedan’s tourism

The tourism industry of the west-central province of Hamedan has taken some 2.48 trillion rials ($59 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) hit from the coronavirus outbreak over the past couple of months. As the Persian New Year (Noruz) holidays is the golden time for the tourism sector, if the restrictions and lockdown continue to the next Iranian year 1400 (starting March 20), irreparable damage will be done to this sector, the provincial tourism chief Ali Malmir said on Saturday. Accommodation centers, hotels, restaurants, and halls have suffered major damages during the time as well, the official added. Back in December, the official announced that the Iranian government has paid 70 billion rials (about $1.7 million) in loans to the tourism businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the province. He also noted that there are 180 hotels, apartment hotels, eco-lodge units, and travel agencies across the province, which generate jobs for a total of 2,000 people. In late October, deputy tourism chief Vali Teymouri said that a new support package to pay loans to businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic was approved by Iran’s National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control. He also announced that depending on the type and activity of the businesses, they could benefit from at least 160 million rials (some $3,800) to nine billion rials (some $214,000) of bank loans with a 12-percent interest rate. The loans would be allocated to tourist guides, travel agencies, tourism transport companies, tourism educational institutions, eco-lodges and traditional accommodations, hotels, apartment hotels, motels, and guesthouses as well as traditional accommodation centers, tourism complexes, and recreational centers, the official explained. In September, Teymouri said that around 1.3 million tourism workers in the country were facing problems due to the coronavirus crisis. In October, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan warned that Iran’s cultural heritage and tourism will be in a critical situation if the crises caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus continue. In August, Mounesan said that Iran’s tourism has suffered a loss of 12 trillion rials (some $2.85 billion) since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The government has allocated a 750-trillion-rial (about $18 billion) package to help low-income households and small- and medium-sized enterprises suffered from coronavirus concerns. Optimistic forecasts, however, expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus is contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (started March 21, 2019).

15 eco-lodge units to come on stream in eastern Iran

A total of 15 eco-lodges , which are currently being constructed across the eastern South Khorasan province, will come on stream by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (Mach 20). Establishing eco-lodge units could help boost tourism in the region, while it generates job opportunities in the rural areas, the provincial tourism chief has said. Some 80 eco-lodge units have been inaugurated across the province over the past four years, which has provided the ground for attracting more domestic and foreign tourists, Hassan Ramezani announced on Sunday. Last April, the official announced that the number of eco-lodge units has increased by fourfold in the province within a year. “Some 25 eco-lodge [units] existed across the province at the end of the [Iranian year] 1397 (March 2019) while the figure has reached 100, eighty of which are operational.” In December 2019, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan inaugurated eleven eco-lodges during his visit to the province. Last November, the minister referred to the eco-lodges inaugurated across the country and noted that increasing the number of units could create job opportunities in rural areas and boost tourist arrivals in these regions. He also noted that promoting ecotourism can help reverse migration and attract more foreign tourists. Apart from eco-lodge units, there are also boutique hotels and traditional accommodation centers which could flourish the tourism sector and provide infrastructure in these regions, Mounesan mentioned. The tourism ministry has set a target to help build 2,000 eco-lodges by 2021, believing such guest houses could cater to sustainable development and job creation in the countryside and rural areas. Experts say each eco-lodge unit generates jobs for seven to eight people on average so that the scheme could create 160,000 jobs. The culturally-diverse country never disappoints visitors when it comes to eco-tourism, sightseeing, and even tribal tourism as it is home to many regional people including ones with Turk and Arab elements in addition to the Kurds, Baloch, Bakhtyari, Lurs, and other smaller minorities such as Armenians, Assyrians, Jews, and others.

Semnan Province

Humanitarian aid of Qom hoteliers community

"Emad Mahmoudpour" Vice President of the Association of Hotels and Apartment Hotels in Qom Province;  The province's hoteliers' community has so far distributed 5,000 livelihood packages to support the vulnerable.

Payment of one billion and 360 million tomans of bank facilities to Bushehr tourism centers

"Sakineh Salari" the Deputy Minister of Tourism of Bushehr Province announced;  So far, 55 cases have been submitted to the operating banks of the province to receive facilities with a 12% fee.

The criteria of banks in paying for tourism loans are not correct and expert

"Fereydoun Fayali" General Manager of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Kerman Province; Out of the total number of cases filed for receiving the loans, only 4 cases have been contracted and 36 billion have been paid so far. In the provinces targeted for tourism, both provincial and banking officials pay great attention to the tourism sector.  Banks do not pay attention to financial and technical justifications for paying loans. 

Kurdistan tourism activists have been denied coronavirus support loans

"Yaghoub Guilian" Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Kurdistan Province;  Due to problems in the Corona related loans registration system, only 10% of applicants were able to receive the loans.  This system is facing disruptions that need to be addressed by the Ministry of Labor, Cooperation and Social Welfare.