TEHRAN—Regular restoration work has commenced on traditional houses that are scattered across the Gilan Rural Heritage Museum in the northern Iranian province.

“We have commenced restoration work on houses located in Rural Heritage Museum as their [regular] maintenance is of very high important,” the provincial tourism chief said on Sunday.

“Considering the specific architecture of the buildings in the Rural Heritage Museum and the type of materials used, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to restore the buildings every few years,” Vali Jahani said.

“To safeguard customs and traditions for future generations, it is very necessary to preserve and protect the Rural Heritage Museum and it is one of the priorities of Gilan’s tourism department.”

Covering an area of 45 hectares within the Saravan Forest Park, 18km south of Rasht (2km off the Qazvin highway), the open-air museum strives to represent traditional, cultural, architectural, and anthropological areas of the lush green province.

Visitors will be acquainted with the traditional lifestyle of Gilak families, their traditions, authentic local clothing, food, handicraft souvenirs, and musical instruments.

Sophisticated Rasht, capital of Gilan province, has long been a weekend escape for residents of Tehran who are looking to sample the famous local cuisine and hoping for some pluvial action – it's the largest, and wettest town in the northern region. Gilan is divided into a coastal plain, including the large delta of Sefid Rud and adjacent parts of the Alborz mountain range.

The historical Gilan region was within the sphere of influence of the successive Achaemenian, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian empires that ruled Iran until the 7th century CE. The subsequent Arab conquest of Iran led to the rise of many local dynasties, and Gilan acquired an independent status that continued until 1567.

AFM