TEHRAN –The northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan plans to host a delegation of Turkish journalists and media personnel for a familiarization tour across the province in the near future, the provincial tourism chief has announced.

A fam tour introducing East Azarbaijan’s tourism capabilities will be organized in cooperation with the private sector during the winter for Turkish media representatives and tourism activists, Ahmad Hamzezadeh said on Monday.

A suitable platform can be provided for the development of the tourism industry by having fam tours in the province and taking advantage of the existing capacities in the sector, he explained.

Holding fam tours is the best strategy for developing tourism in top countries, the official added.

To accomplish this goal, the province’s tourism department is planning to organize fam tours for tourism activists and media members of the other neighboring countries early next year, he noted.

Soaked in history and culture for millennia, Tabriz, which is the capital of East Azarbaijan, embraces several historical and religious sites, including the Jameh Mosque of Tabriz and Arg of Tabriz, and UNESCO-registered Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex to name a few. The city became the capital of the Mongol Il-Khan Mahmud Gazan (1295–1304) and his successor. Timur (Tamerlane), a Turkic conqueror, took it in 1392. Some decades later the Kara Koyunlu Turkmen made it their capital, it was when the famous Blue Mosque was built in Tabriz.

The city retained its administrative status under the Safavid dynasty until 1548 when Shah Tahmasp I relocated his capital westward to Qazvin. During the next two centuries, Tabriz changed hands several times between Persia and Ottoman Empire. During World War I, the city was temporarily occupied by Turkish and then Soviet troops.

The ancient city was declared a world craft city of carpet weaving by the World Craft in 2016. It also bore the title of 2018 Islamic Tourism Capital.

ABU/MG