TEHRAN – Some 174 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) have been inked since the beginning of the current Iranian year 1399 (started on March 20) to develop tourism and increase visitors to Ali Sadr Cave.

Although the cave is one of the top destinations for domestic and foreign sightseers, the outbreak of the coronavirus cut the number of visitors by 86 percent in the first six months of the current Iranian year, manager of the site Mehdi Majidi announced on Wednesday.

While the tourism industry was one of the first businesses to suffer the most with the coronavirus pandemic, Ali Sadr Cave and its subsidiaries were also hit severely, the official explained.

Located in some 70km north of Hamadan in west-central Iran, Ali Sadr is a gigantic water-filled cavern wieldy believed to date from the Jurassic era.

To promote the tourism capacities of the cave, several good offers and discounts are provided for the visitors on the occasion of the World Tourism Day on Saturday, the official added.

He also emphasized that as the economy of the region depends on the activity of this tourist complex, the cave cannot be closed, therefore, visits following strict health protocols are possible.

Back in April, the official announced that Ali Sadr Cave has taken 70 billion rials (about $1.5 million) hit from the impact of coronavirus over the last two months, while two-thirds of the employees of the tourist site have also lost their jobs temporarily.

The cave embraces a huge matrix of sunless channels, ponds, grottoes, and water passages which are stretched along with imposing rock formations and stalactite-covered tops in a span of several kilometers.

Sightseeing there is connected with traversing in well-lit labyrinths of waterways via paddle boats, walking on subterranean islets, as well as observing rock carvings of hunting scenes, artifacts, paintings, and vessels which are associated with prehistorical troglodytes.

ABU/MG