TEHRAN – On Monday evening, the Cuban first lady Lis Cuesta Peraza paid a visit to the Sa’dabad Cultural-Historical Complex in northern Tehran.

Peraza, who is also a Cuban politician and former tourism executive, toured various museums and halls of the complex during a visit that took around three hours, IRNA reported.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and his wife embarked on a historic journey to Iran, arriving in Tehran on Sunday night. The invitation, personally extended by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, not only symbolizes a diplomatic gesture but also heralds Miguel Díaz-Canel’s inaugural presence in Tehran.

Their trip holds historical significance, marking the first instance of a Cuban president setting foot in Iran since Fidel Castro’s visit to Tehran in June 2001.

Sprawled on about 110 hectares of mountainside parkland in northern Tehran, the Sadabad Cultural-Historical Complex used to be a royal summer residence during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras.

The complex was initially established and inhabited by some Qajar monarchs in the 19th century. It has undergone further expansions from the 1920s until the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The site embraces a variety of buildings, some of which turned out to be house museums showcasing a wide range of royal families’ memorabilia including lavishly-made furniture, dishware, automobiles, carpets, and miniature paintings.

AFM