TEHRAN – Kermanshah province’s tourism department has arranged some special sightseeing tours for senior citizens.

The tours, offering free admission, were organized as part of the celebrations for National Senior Citizens Week, which coincided with National Tourism Week, a local said on Sunday.

Fardin Zarei stated that the one-day tours included visits to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bisotun and the Anahita Temple in Kangavar.

Zarei also highlighted that organizing themed tours for specific groups is part of the department’s efforts to raise awareness about Kermanshah's rich tourism potential. The province boasts 4,200 identified historical and natural sites, with over 2,200 of which are registered as national heritage landmarks, making Kermanshah a prime destination for cultural tourism.

Kermanshah, formerly Bakhtaran, the capital of Kermanshah province, was founded in the 4th century CE by Bahram IV of the Sasanian dynasty. Conquered by the Arabs in 640, the town was called Qirmasin (Qirmashin). Under the Seljuk rule in the 11th century, it was the chief town of Kordestan. The Safavids (ruled 1501–1736) fortified the town, and the Qajars repulsed an attack by the Turks during Fath Ali Shah’s rule (1797–1834). Occupied by the Turkish army in 1915 during World War I, it was evacuated in 1917. The construction of a road in the 1950s over the age-old Khorasan track added considerably to the importance of the city.

AM