TEHRAN – A flower festival dedicated to the sunflower is currently underway in Kondor village, Alborz province, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said.

The festival, which was inaugurated on Thursday, aims to promote agritourism and eco-tourism, Shahram Ali-Mohammadi explained on Friday.

The festival also aims at introducing the region’s tourism capacities to travelers and tourists, the official added.

Sunflowers are primarily native to North and South America, and some species are cultivated as ornamentals for their spectacular size and flower heads, and edible seeds.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the common sunflower is valuable from an economic and an ornamental perspective. The leaves are used as fodder, the flowers yield a yellow dye, and the seeds contain oil and are used for food. The sweet yellow oil obtained by compression of the seeds is considered equal to olive or almond oil for table use.

Alborz province is surrounded by Mazandaran, Tehran, Markazi, and Qazvin provinces. Its name is driven by the Alborz Mountains. A significant part of the mountains is located in the northern part of the province.

Historical resources and documents, as well as archeological studies, indicate that Alborz has a rich culture dating back to prehistoric times.

ABU/AFM