TEHRAN - North Khorasan’s cultural heritage museums are set to display approximately 3,000 historical artifacts during the two-week Nowruz holidays, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore the region’s rich history.

According to Qasem Talebzadeh, head of museums at the North Khorasan Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, the province’s museum collections hold around 8,000 artifacts, of which 3,000 will be showcased for public viewing.

Six museums in the province will be open to visitors during the Nowruz celebrations, with preparations already underway. The designated museums include the Jajarm Anthropology Museum, Jalal al-Din Garmeh Castle Anthropology Museum, Mofakham Complex Museum in Bojnurd, Shirvan Carpet and Archaeology Museum, Faruj Anthropology Museum, and the Mirror House Mofakham Museum, which houses historical manuscripts and documents.

In addition to these museums, three significant historical sites in the province; Rivi Archaeological Site, the ancient city of Belqeys, and the historical fabric of Royin Village, will also welcome Nowruz travelers.

Talebzadeh noted that some artifacts from the Rivi site have been transferred to the Bojnurd Museum, while others will remain on display at the site for visitors.

Last year, during the Nowruz holidays, 5,817 people visited the province’s museums, and officials anticipate an increase in cultural tourism this year.

Khorasan -- meaning the “Land of the Sun” -- is a historical region and realm comprising a vast territory now lying in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan. The historical region extended along the north, from the Amu Darya (Oxus River) westward to the Caspian Sea and, along the south, from the fringes of the central Iranian deserts eastward to the mountains of central Afghanistan.

The history of the area stretches back to very ancient times. It was part of the Achaemenian Empire of the 6th to 4th century BC and the Parthian empire, which spanned from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century CE.

AM