TEHRAN – All museums and historical sites, as well as cultural centers across the country, will be open during Noruz (Iranian new year holidays, starting March 21).

Special programs will be presented at countrywide museums from March 16 to April 5 to mark the Persian new year, Morteza Adibzadeh explained, the director of museums and historical properties said on Monday. 

Many museums are scheduled to showcase their rarely-seen objects as a temporary exhibition during Noruz or as a year-long show, the official said, ILNA reported. 

For instance, rare copies of Ferdowsi’s epic masterpiece Shahnameh, which are usually kept in the museums’ treasure troves, will be displayed for the public, the official added. 

There are special programs for children this year, and we plan to provide exhibitions and cultural spaces in the museums suited to their needs, he explained. 

Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous major civilizations, embracing settlements dating back to 4000 BC. It also hosts some of the world’s oldest cultural monuments including bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, gardens, rich natural, rural landscapes as well as 26 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The name of Iran, formerly known as Persia, mostly conjures up the first Persian Empire, ruled by the Achaemenids (ca. 550 – 330 BC) and sites such as Pasargadae and Persepolis. However, there are tens of prehistorical sites as the Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchestan, Tepe Sialk in Kashan, Susa, and Chogha Zanbil in the Khuzestan province, and Ecbatana in Hamedan which predate the Achaemenid period.

From a wider point of view, Iranian history can be divided into Pre-Islamic and Islamic eras. The Medes unified Iran as a nation and empire in 625 BC. The Islamic conquest of Persia (633–656) that put an end to the mighty Sassanid Empire (224–651) was a turning point in the history of the nation.

Iranians traditionally make hundreds of thousands of domestic trips during Noruz holidays, when most businesses and workplaces are closed, as are schools.

ABU/AFM