TEHRAN – The Great Wall of Gorgan, the UNESCO-registered Gonbad-e Qabus tower, and the rich cultural heritage of Turkmen people are among the elements that make Gonbad-e Kavus a must-see destination, Golestan province’s tourism chief said on Sunday.

“We should make sustained efforts to develop tourism facilities in Gonbad-e Kavus, which is the second largest city of Golestan province,” Mohammad-Javad Saravi said.

The official announced plans to construct a number of hotels in close collaboration with private investors, saying “One of the investors announced his readiness to enter hotel construction, which will be a great help to encourage tourism.”

Gonbad-e Kavus is a unique destination in terms of history and cultural heritage… For instance, The Great Wall of Gorgan, which is one of the longest brick barriers of the ancient world situated in northern Iran, has enormous tourism potential, Saravi said.

“Unfortunately, the defensive wall of Gorgan, with a history of 1,600 years, has been neglected until now, and I hope that this historical work will be removed from abandonment.”

The Great Wall of Gorgan can rival Persepolis of Shiraz when it comes to tourism, but it has remained neglected until now, the official said.

Visible from great distances in the surrounding lowlands near the ancient Ziyarid capital, Jorjan, the 53-meter high Gonbad-e Qabus dominates a modern town of the same name laid out around its base in the early 20th century. As mentioned by UNESCO, the monument bears testimony to the cultural exchange between Central Asian nomads and the ancient civilization of Iran.

Narratives say the tower has influenced various subsequent designers of tomb towers and other cylindrical commemorative structures both in the region and beyond. The structure capped by an eye-catching conical roof boasts intricate geometric principles and patterns which embellish parts of its load-bearing brickwork.

Furthermore, Golestan is famed for its rich nomadic culture, in particular, the heritage of its Turkmen people.

AM