TEHRAN—St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov has shown interest in fostering closer ties between Iran’s Isfahan and the Russian city.

Beglov has said his local government hails deeper ties to be established among St. Petersburg and its sister city, CHTN reported on Tuesday.

Undoubtedly, the cultural commonality of the two countries, especially the people of Russia and Isfahan, provides a suitable opportunity for the development of tourism, Beglov said in a message posted to the opening ceremony of Isfahan’s 13th tourism fair.

“Next year, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the sisterhood [agreement] between the two cities and we will try to make authentic Iranian handicrafts shine in this cultural event,” Beglov was quoted as saying by CHTN. 

“Therefore, along with the development of political relations between the two countries, we will try to help boost tourism among the provinces of Isfahan and St. Petersburg.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the official reminded his  comments made last year during a visit to Isfahan, saying the people of Isfahan and St. Petersburg are interested in the development of [mutual] tourism.

In 1999, Isfahan and St. Petersburg became sister cities under an agreement signed by Isfahan's then-mayor Mohammad Javadi and St. Petersburg’s first vice-governor of the time. Isfahan has already become a sister city of several cities, including Kuala Lumpur, Florence, Italy and Xian. 

Half the world?

Isfahan was once a crossroads of international trade and diplomacy in Iran and now it is one of Iran’s top tourist destinations for good reasons.

When Shah Abbas the Great became ruler of Persia's Safavid dynasty in 1587, he chose Isfahan as his capital and undertook to make it eclipse all other cities. During his reign, he built so many palaces, mosques, gardens, and bridges that the inhabitants boasted: “Isfahan nesfe Jahan”— “Isfahan is half the world.” The subtle nickname implies that seeing Isfahan is relevant to see half the world.

Shah Abbas’s immediate successors continued the beautification. According to a contemporary, Isfahan, a city of 600,000, had 162 mosques, 48 colleges, 273 public baths, and no fewer than 1,802 caravanserais — open courtyards surrounded with buildings, which served as medieval tourist parks where travelers could find water for their camels and food and lodging for themselves.

The city is filled with many architectural wonders, such as unmatched Islamic buildings, bazaars, museums, Persian gardens, and tree-lined boulevards. It's a city for walking, getting lost in its mazing bazaars, dozing in beautiful gardens, and meeting people. Moreover, it is renowned not only for the abundance of great historical bridges but also for its ‘life-giving river’, the Zayandeh Road, which has long bestowed the city an original beauty and fertility.

AFM