TEHRAN – In a different approach, visitors to the Isfahan pavilion at the 15th Tehran International Tourism Exhibition are offered free-of-charge virtual tours with the help of skilled guides who put the spotlight on the untold stories of the ancient Iranian city.

The Leaning Tower of Isfahan, newly-discovered historical places, golden room, European consulate, pre-Edison street lighting, Room of the Queen of England in Iran, European neighborhood in Iran, 400-year-old ‘peacock’, a German heritage in Iran, secrets behind geometrical patterns, missing clock tower, a model of Amsterdam, a Guinness-assessed mosque, and the mystery of 33 are amongst the tales you can discover there to name a few.

Each story is originally narrated within a one-minute video clip in various languages to make culture lovers and avid travelers familiar with the off-the-beaten tracks, lesser-known destinations, souvenirs, foods, traditions, rituals, cultural heritage, handicrafts, and above all the hospitable people of Isfahan, which has long been nicknamed as “half the world”.

In his visit to the pavilion, the deputy tourism minister Ali-Asghar Shalbafian on Saturday expressed his satisfaction with the way Isfahan is represented to visitors, adding “All provinces must follow Isfahan as a role model for its the precise method of content production.” 

The ancient city was once a crossroad of international trade and diplomacy in Iran and now it is a top tourist destination for good reasons. It is filled with many architectural wonders such as unmatched Islamic buildings, bazaars, museums, Persian gardens, and tree-lined boulevards. It's a city for walking, getting lost in its mazing bazaars, dozing in beautiful gardens, and meeting people.

Isfahan, the capital of a province of the same name, is nicknamed “Nesf-e-Jahan” which is translated into “half the world”, meaning it contains fully half of the world's wonders. In its heyday, it was also one of the largest cities in the region with a population of nearly one million. The cool blue tiles of Isfahan's Islamic buildings, and the city's majestic bridges, contrast perfectly with the encircling hot, dry Iranian countryside. Furthermore, the city is renowned not only for the abundance of great historical bridges but also for its ‘life-giving river’, the Zayandeh-Rood, which has long bestowed the city an original beauty and fertility.

On its outskirts, modern Isfahan is now home to some heavy industries, including steel factories and a uranium processing center, however, its inner core has somehow been preserved as a priceless gem.  Also, Isfahan is a destination for medical tourism as it embraces an all-inclusive professional healthcare city.

AFM