TEHRAN – Iran’s southwestern province of Khuzestan is preparing to host a war tourism festival focusing on artistic narratives of the country’s 1980-88 Sacred Defense.

The festival aims to introduce visitors to key historical sites from the Iran-Iraq War, with a special focus on the role of medical personnel and field hospitals.

Through art, the event seeks to promote “resistance tourism” by raising awareness about the social and historical dimensions of the war and preserving its legacy, ISNA reported on Saturday.

According to organizers, participants, including artists, photographers, documentary filmmakers, writers, and motion graphic designers, will use creative mediums to highlight the heroic efforts of medical personnel in treating and saving soldiers’ lives under extreme conditions.

The festival will be embracing an award ceremony in February 2025, where outstanding contributions will be recognized, Khuzestan, located in southwestern Iran, shares a border with Iraq and is the richest Iranian province in terms of oil and gas resources. It was the most affected region during the eight-year war, suffering significant destruction and losses.

Covering an area of 63,633 square kilometers, Khuzestan borders multiple provinces, including Lorestan to the north, Ilam to the northwest, and the Persian Gulf to the south. Important border points with Iraq include Abadan, Khorramshahr, Shalamcheh, and Arvandrud, each holding historical significance in the war.

Widely known as Sacred Defense in the Islamic Republic, the war was launched by the order of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein nearly 19 months after the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It was the second-longest war of the 20th century after the Vietnam War.

AM