TEHRAN – Some 1,830,000 people visited Isfahan’s Zayandehrud, a once fast-flowing river that runs through the ancient Iranian city, during the two-week New Year (Noruz) holidays (March 21-April 2), the provincial tourism chief said on Monday. 

Furthermore, 6.5 million tourists and travelers visited other historical sites and natural sights of Isfahan province, Alireza Izadi explained on Sunday. 

“This year, after two years of slow growth in the tourism sector due to the outbreak of coronavirus, we witnessed crowds of Noruz trippers flocking to historic monuments and tourist attractions of the city,” the official added. 

Soaked in a rich history and culture, Isfahan was once a crossroads of international trade and diplomacy in Iran. Now, it is one of Iran’s top tourist destinations for good reasons. The ancient city 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.

The city has long been nicknamed as Nesf-e-Jahan which is translated into “half the world”; meaning seeing it is relevant to seeing the whole world. In its heyday, it was also one of the largest cities in the region with a population of nearly one million.

Isfahan is renowned not only for the abundance of great historical bridges but also for its ‘life-giving river’, the Zayandehrud, which has long bestowed the city an original beauty and fertility. The cool blue tiles of Isfahan’s Islamic buildings, and the city’s majestic bridges, contrast perfectly with the encircling hot, dry Iranian countryside.

ABU/AFM