TEHRAN – Museums in Tehran have reopened their doors to the public after one week of closure following the increase in the number of people infected with the coronavirus, ILNA reported.

All museums in Tehran, which are under the supervision of the tourism ministry, reopened and started their activities, according to the announcement and decision of the Coronavirus Control Operations Headquarters, said Mohammadreza Kargar, the ministry’s director for museums and historical properties, on Friday.

However, the activity of museums in other provinces is subject to the decision of the provincial headquarters, the official added.

Back in June, the official announced that Iranian museums and historical sites have taken 600 billion rials (about $14.2 million) hit from the coronavirus outbreak.

The country closed cultural heritage museums and historical sites across the country in a preventive measure amid fears of coronavirus outbreak back in 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 had gone on lockdown during last week once again.

Earlier this week, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan announced that revenues from museums and historical sites were almost eight billion rials (about $190,000) during the first three months of the current Iranian calendar year (started March 20), a sharp decline compared to around 300 billion rials (over $7 million) in the same period last year.

He also noted that most of the income is spent on preserving the historical sites and museums, but due to the closure of the sites, the ministry is facing a challenge in maintaining these places.

Several provinces including Bushehr, Hormozgan, and Zanjan have extended the closure of their museums and some historical sites as they are on the red risk zone.

ABU/MG