TEHRAN – Registration of natural heritage sites on the National Heritage List can boost tourism potential in the East Azarbaijan province, the provincial tourism chief has said. 

preserving the rich history of the region is vital to prevent it from being forgotten, Ahmad Hamzehzadeh explained on Thursday.

He emphasized the importance of accurately recording Azarbaijan's history to give a complete account of Iran's history.

The recent registration of Kandovan Historical Village on the World Tourism Organization's list is a crucial step for the development of the tourism industry in the province, he added. 

In addition, Hamzehzadeh mentioned that out of the 54 caravanserais in Iran that have been registered globally, three are located in this province. 

He also mentioned the registration of Aras Geopark and its significant role in the development of natural tourism capacities in East Azarbaijan province.

Earlier in October, Iran’s Kandovan village was inscribed on the list of 54 best tourism villages by the World Tourism Organization.

Kandovan is famous for its extraordinary architecture, where people have carved their homes into cone-shaped rocks, creating a spectacular landscape.

Kandovan, which is Iran’s first village to gain the status, faced stiff competition from over 200 villages from around the globe, yet it triumphed to be counted among the world’s tourism gems.

To win the status, Kandovan had to meet rigorous criteria set by the UN tourism body, which included cultural resource preservation, economic sustainability, environmental and social responsibility, and a commitment to safety and security.

In September, a selection of 54 centuries-old Iranian roadside inns won a UNESCO label under the name: The Persian Caravanserai.

The registration was made at the 45th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, after carefully examining the proposed caravanserais located in 24 provinces across the country.

“The routes and the locations of the caravanserais were determined by the presence of water, geographical conditions, and security concerns,” the committee said on its website.

The listed caravanserais “are considered to be the most influential and valuable examples of the caravanserais of Iran, revealing a wide range of architectural styles, adaptation to climatic conditions, and construction materials, spread across thousands of kilometers and built over many centuries,” the committee said.

“Together, they showcase the evolution and network of caravanserais in Iran, in different historical stages,” it stated.

Experts say that 54 caravanserais are only a small percentage of the numerous caravanserais built along the ancient roads of Iran. However, they showcase the evolution and network of caravanserais in Iran in different historical stages.
 
Back in May, Iran’s Aras Geopark was added to the UNESCO Global Geoparks network.

Situated in East Azarbaijan province, Aras Geopark covers an area of about 1670 square kilometers, sprawling across the whole Jolfa county. The topography is generally extremely steep and forms astonishing landscapes so the highest point in the Jolfa region is the Kiyamaki mount with 3347 meters and the lowest points include the northern boundary and the Aras River valley with 720 to 390 meters.

The property has an appropriate geo-tourism attraction, because of its mountainous landscapes, outcropping of different sedimentary and igneous rocks, diversity in tectonic structures, semi-cold and semi-arid climate, and diverse flora and fauna.

Capital of East Azarbaijan province, Tabriz, which is well-soaked in history and culture for millennia, embraces several historical and religious sites, including Jameh Mosque of Tabriz and Arg of Tabriz, and UNESCO-registered Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex to name a few.

The ancient city was declared a world craft city of carpet weaving by the World Craft in 2016. It also bore the title of 2018 Islamic Tourism Capital.

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 Tabriz.

Having an opulent tourist circuit with 27 UNESCO World Heritage sites, of which the vast Hyrcanian Forest and Lut Desert are among the natural properties, Iran seeks to acquire a greater share of the global tourism industry by 2025.

SAB/