TEHRAN—The tourism infrastructure in Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan province, is adequate to draw more tourists from Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, Iran’s Consul General in Erbil has said.

To attract more tourists to Tabriz, Iran’s Consulate General is preparing to cooperate with various Iraqi cities such as Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah, and Nineveh, Nasrollah Rashnudi explained on Thursday.

There are many opportunities for Tabriz municipality to develop cooperation with Iraqi cities through the travels of trade and business delegations, the envoy added.

The historical sites of Tabriz can also be used as a means of attracting private investment through opportunities they offer as a source of income, he noted.

Home to hospitable people, Tabriz is a perfect introduction to Iran for sightseers crossing over the border from Armenia, or through the Gurbulak Bazargan border from Turkey.

Like many cities in Iran, Tabriz has a long and rich history but saw many of its historic buildings destroyed by invaders or earthquakes. Tabriz 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 the ancient city.

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 the Ottoman Empire. During World War I, the city was temporarily occupied by Turkish and then Soviet troops.

Downtown Tabriz is very walkable, and the people are also extremely friendly, something not particularly common in big cities.

ABU/AM