TEHRAN - The echoes of the ancient melodies resonated, in Palangan, one of the Kordestan’s oldest villages, enriching the spirits of thousands of fellow countrymen.

The historic village of Palangan, a nominee to be on the World Best Tourism Villages list, played host to approximately 30,000 tourists and travelers from across Iran, on Friday.

The Hezar-Daf Festival, which means one thousand drums in Persian, was organized with the presence of provincial officials and media groups.

The inaugural Hezar-Daf Festival in Pelangan took place two years ago and this year, the cultural ceremony, serving as a spiritual and cultural heritage, is held on the last Friday of the very first month of the Persian calendar, with the participation of various drumming and artistic groups in the tourist village.

Being celebrated each year with particular grandeur and attended by tourists from both within and outside the province, the Hezar-Daf is one of the most beautiful customs of this historic village.

During the ceremony, Esmail Zarei-Kousha, the Kordestan’s governor, expressed his appreciation for the enthusiastic participation of people from across the country in the festival.

“This enthusiastic participation and the dissemination of news, images, and videos thereof,” the official added, “contribute to the global recognition of Palangan.”

He emphasized tourism as one of the main and essential capacities of Kordestan’s development.

“We spare no effort to strengthen this sector,” Zarei-Kousha added.

Moreover, the governor of Kamyaran county also stated during the ceremony that while the global registration of Pelangan is important, its preservation for future years is even more crucial.

“We must take action with precise and principled planning to create and strengthen the necessary measures in this regard,” the official stated.

Palangan vies for UN recognition

Last year, Iran submitted eight villages for the title of the best tourism village to the UN Tourism Organization, among which only Kandovan village found its way to the final list, and Palangan ranked second, scoring 86 out of 100.

As revealed by related officials, in the current year, the files of the eight selected villages will be finalized on April 24, and Pelangan this year stands a good chance of being listed as the best tourism village, despite some shortcomings and challenges that need to be addressed.

On April 13, Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, the deputy tourism minister, delineated that village assessments are based on nine relevant indices aligned with sustainable development goals (SDGs), covering cultural and natural resources, economic stability, social cohesion, environmental sustainability, tourism potential, value chain integration, governance and prioritization of tourism, infrastructure and connectivity along with health and security.

Underscoring the importance of a justification form in village applications, the official pointed to the requirement of villages to elucidate their motivations and initiatives to become global destinations.

“In 2024, Iran can submit eight applications,” Shalbafian noted, “with villages such as Abyaneh (Isfahan province), Kandolus (Mazandaran province), Palangan (Kurdistan province), Bisheh (Lorestan province), Meymand (Kerman province), Fahraj (Yazd province), Esfahak (South Khorasan province), and Ghaleh Bala (Semnan province) being highlighted.”

“Currently, field assessments of these villages are underway,” Shalbafian added, “with strategic tourism development committees being formed in provinces.”

In his concluding remarks, the deputy minister pinpointed that the village’s motivation files are being prepared in collaboration with provincial departments, scheduled for submission to the UN Tourism organization, by the deadline of April 24.