TEHRAN - The second phase of Mini World, a massive tourism and recreational project in Malayer, western Iran, has been officially inaugurated.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by several travel insiders and local officials, including Mohsen Masoum Alizadeh, the provincial tourism chief, who highlighted the project's significance as a national mega-tourism endeavor, spanning an area of 48 hectares.

The Mini World features perfect replicas of many world-renowned historical sites and monuments. These include iconic structures such as Persepolis, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Veresk Bridge, the Acropolis, the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, the Si-o-se Pol bridge, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Moai statues of Easter Island, and the tombs of Persian poets Hafez and Khayyam, as well as the mausoleum of Avicenna, Sun Palace, the Great Wall of China, the Gonbad-e Qabus tower, and many others, Alizadeh explained.

Some of these installations have been completed, while others are currently under construction, CHTN reported on Saturday.

Alizadeh added that the park also showcases other notable attractions, such as Niagara Falls, Dolatabad Garden in Yazd (with its buildings and wind towers), the Quran Gate of Shiraz, the Garden of Celebrities featuring statues of famous Iranian and international figures, and monuments dedicated to martyred people.

He emphasized that Mini World is a unique destination with great potential to impact tourism, offering an unparalleled showcase of architectural and cultural heritage from various nations and civilizations throughout history.

Salman Esmaeili, the deputy governor-general of Hamadan province and Special Governor of Malayer, also highlighted the provincial government's support to complete the project. He praised the efforts of the city council and municipality for their successful endeavors in securing funds to advance this massive tourism project.

Esmaeili further stated that Malayer is uniquely recognized for its furniture, grapes, and wicker weaving, and stressed the need to focus on developing handicrafts and tourism industries while creating the necessary infrastructure to support these sectors.

Majid Faraji, the mayor of Malayer, remarked that there are currently 30 ongoing projects within the Mini World theme park, describing it as a significant tourism venture both domestically and internationally. He noted that the park is set to feature 138 iconic structures from Iran and around the world, with an overall budget of 13,500 billion rials ($22.5 million) spent on the project so far, including the recently inaugurated second phase.

Faraji also mentioned that the construction of this mega-tourism project began in 2008, to promote culture by creating small replicas of historical landmarks from around the world.

AM