TEHRAN – A suspension bridge made of curved sheets of glass, which is the first of its kind in the world, has officially been inaugurated in Ardebil province, northwest Iran, IRIB reported on Friday.

According to the report, 250 billion rials (some $6 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) has been invested in the project.

Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan, who was accompanied by provincial and local officials, cut the ribbon on the touristic bridge, which connects two hills in Hir district.

Measuring 220 meters in length, the bridge’s all glass parts and metal cables have been constructed by domestic engineers using high quality materials, the report said.

Ardebil tourism chief Nader Fallahi announced in late December 2019 that seventeen tourism projects, worth 1,500 billion rials (some $35 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) is to be inaugurated in Ardebil province in the near future.

Ha said that the objective to launch tourism projects in the province is to provide tourists from all over the world and domestic tourists as well with the opportunity to use these facilities and select Ardebil as their prime destination.

Sprawling on a high, windswept plateau, Ardebil is well-known for having lush natural beauties, hospitable people and its silk and carpet trade tradition. It is also home to the UNESCO-registered Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble.

The Islamic Republic welcomed some four million foreign nationals during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21 – August 22, 2019), which shows 30 percent hike, compared with the same period last year, according to official data compiled by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

AFM/MG