TEHRAN ––More than 1.8 million travelers visited Mazandaran province on Tuesday and Wednesday, a local official has said.

The travel flow started on Tuesday when the Iranian government declared national holidays for the two upcoming days due to a heat wave that saw temperatures touch record levels across the country.

A picture-perfect destination for nature lovers, Mazandaran registered some five million arrivals, of which 1.8 million considered as travelers made overnight stays in the northern province, ISNA reported on Thursday.

Sandwiched between the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and the Alborz mountains, Mazandaran features plains, prairies, forests, and rainforest stretching from the sandy beaches of the Caspian Sea to the rugged and snowcapped Alborz mountains.

When it comes to local cuisine, the Mazandaran region is a food lover’s paradise as well. The region is well-known for its diverse cuisine made with fresh and organic ingredients. Many of its popular dishes have a flavorful mix of white rice, fish, and herbs, cooked with sour orange juice. Its distinctive dishes include: Aghuz Mossama (walnut dish), Tah Chin, Torsh Torshu, Do Pati, Espenasak, pumpkin soup, Esfenaj Marji, Kahi Anar (a dish made from pumpkins), Naz Khatun, Qaliye, Khoresht-e Alu and Aghuznun.

AFM