Dearest Arash,

After 25 days of travel in Iran, I am now home.

After we left Tehran, we went all the way to Shiraz, after Figen left for home, I did Bushehr and Mashhad too.

· It was pity to see Bushehr falling apart. Very poor people. If government does nothing soon, all those houses will soon disappear! It was amazing to see the land change coming from Shiraz, plain valleys and peak mountains, no trees, breathtaking view, long tunnels. Then as we descended the view turned into all palm trees. As far as my eyes can see! It was amazing, really. It was fond to see similarities between the other Gulf countries/cities and Bushehr too. I liked it. Masquitos were very agressive, with unfortunately very little infrastructure it does help them to feed.

· As for Mashhad, Haram is magical! I found security guardians very friendly too. Unlike other shrine staff. I was there for the 2 full days, in the streets, did not come across with even one more tourist! How is this at all possible, it’s beyond my imagination! No English speaking people was difficult for the communication. Thanks again to some lovely Azeri people that I came across, they were more helpful then ever… Overall, Masshad is a difficult environment for a tourist. I believe LP is not covering and giving enough information for Mashhad.

Here are some of my highlights of Iran. Perhaps can give some view :

Best restaurant : Hezardastan Traditional Teahouse, Restaurant and Museum, Mashhad. Very expensive though. But definitely was worth it!

Best cayhane                : Seray-e Mehr Teahouse, Shiraz.

Best qalyan                  : By the Si-o-She bridge, Esfahan. Obviously government removed them all, it’s black market qalyan!…

Best bazaar                  : Tebriz and Esfahan. Amazing. Workshops in Esfahan make bazaar atmosphere magical. Tebriz carpet bazaar is no 1!

Best hotel                     : Silkroad Hotel, Yazd. Peaceful, atmospheric, friendly staff, clean, good food, very good value. Also is a good place to meet new adventurers on a World tour.

Worst hotel                   : Hotel Iran, Quazvin. My nightmare hotel in Iran! Annoying staff too. Towels and bedsheets seemed not to be washed properly. I had some bugs (!) in my bed, which affected me for the next 10 days to itch.

Best city                       : Esfahan. Iran should focus on Esfahan as a marketing to change perceptions! Would appeal to many European travelers. Modern people, great food, good shopping, valuable history, amazing buildings, peaceful and colorful city. I strongly believe Esfahan is no different than any other big touristic cities like Rome, Istanbul, Beirut,.. This is a good strength.

Bad experience             : Taxi drivers in Mashhad was annoying esp for alone women travellers.

As a result;

I am back home with really good memoirs of Iran. I am trying to finalize some of my writings and photos on my blog, so that I can start posting and sharing all this with some curious to-know friends! They can’t wait to hear from me!

I wanted to thank you deeply for all your help, and making Iran so special for us. Surely, and hopefully very soon (perhaps next spring!) I will be definitely back to Iran, continue to enjoy the rural parts and less touristic attractions this time. Go off the road!

My home is your home. Pls whenever you are scheduling to come Istanbul, pls pls pls let me know, too. I will do my utmost best to join you. Also, still we are waiting to hear from Maryam for her soon visit to Istanbul. I hope she will manage to re-schedule it…

Hugs, warm regards, good luck with your new ventures,

Pls give my warm regards, many and special thanks to Shadi and Maryam too.

PS: Unfortunately I do not have their email addresses. If you can share I would be more than greatful!

Hugs, again,

Bike Geckinli

Istanbul, Turkey.

2012: Iranian tourist guides celebrated 21st of February in harmony with UNWTO’s theme

Tourist guide; a bridge among cultures

The 5th world tourist guide day celebration was held in Khuzestan province from 19th to 21st of February by the presence of more than 450 tourist guides from all over Iran. They were from West and East Azerbaijan, Ardebil, Kordestan, Kermanshah, Zanjan, Hamedan, Ilam, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Gilan, Mazandaran, Golestan, Semnan, Razavi Khorasan, Sistan and balouchestan, Isfahan, Kerman, Yazd, Alborz, Hormozgan, Tehran and Khuzastan.

The ceremony was held under the theme “tourism-linking cultures” set by UNWTO for 2011. This event was hosted by Khuzestan province, home to the number of tribal groups with ethnic diversity such as Lor, Bakhtiar,Iranian Arab, Shushtar, Dezful, Behbahan and many other ethnic minorities. In other words, Kuzestan was a good showcase for fulfilling the celebration’s theme.

February 19th

The first day, tourist guides had a big chance to visit two important sites in Unesco world heritage list, Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System and Choghazanbil Temple.

The first visit was ancient area of Susa including antiquities of Achaemenid era (500 BC) to after Islam. The restorers are working on this site to be registered as a world heritage.

On the way of Shushtar, the visitors could see the sugarcane fields to know the potential of industrial tourism in Khuzestan. In two separated groups, they visited two sites including “collection of mills” and “Salasel Fort”. These sites are some parts of “Historical Hydraulic System” that have been registered in Unesco world heritage list. After sightseeing, the participants ate lunch in Shushtar near “Mizan Band” and “Kolahfarangi”(other sections of Historical Hydraulic System).

Then the groups set off Ghoghazanbil Temple (1250 BC) to watch the sunset. It’s good to note that Ghoghazanbil Temple,Persepolis and Naqshe Jahan Square are the first sites that were registered simultaneously in Unesco world heritage list. The tourist guides visited Ghoghazanbil Temple while they were listening to local guides’ explanations. Then they gathered to listen to music. At sunset, the guides lit the candles in their hands to make the site more beautiful. The first day program was finished after the guides ate dinner near the site and transferred to their residence.

February 20th

The second day of the ceremony started by a walk tour in Dezful. The tourist guides visited “Water Museum”, passed alleys and archways, watched brick houses (Dezful is famous for brick buildings) and stopped across from “Anthropology Museum” in “Kornasion Bathroom” to end the tour.

Afterward, the participants transferred to one of the residences, Qale Mokhtar, to watch the very special programs symbolized the celebration’s theme. Many ethnic minorities of Khuzestan such as Bakhtiari, Iranian Arab, Lor, QashQaie were wearing their traditional clothes served the participants with local foods and performed local music and dance. The outstanding parts of the day was to drink coffee in “Mozif”(very small room made of bamboo that Iranian Arabs invite their guest for drinking tea and coffee), sward dance of Arabs, dance of Lor minority and storytelling of a Bakhtiari couple. Also some of the guides were wearing local clothes symbolized peace and friendship among different Iranian tribal groups.

February 21st

Early in the morning, the guides set off Ahvaz to hold the celebration. Like last years the ceremony started at 9:57 am. The first part was a commemoration of Parviz Rajabi,expert on Iran and researcher, and also Aziz Asheqi, the guardian of Takhte Soleiman(a historical site in West Azerbaijan that has been registered in Unesco world heritage list) who was the guest in Tabriz celebration two years ago. The other parts of the ceremony as follows:

1.     Showing video clips of last celebrations.

2.     Delivering the statue of ceremony to Khuzestan representative to be kept there until next year.

3.     Unveiling tourist guides’ audio logo.

The special guest of this year, Tooran Mirhadi, the founder of children’s book council and adolescent and children’s encyclopedia, was praised for working more than 40 years on Iranian culture with a respectful group.

In addition to tourist guides, journalists and other guests from different groups who are active in tourism and culture such as Mohammadreza Aslani, director, Soodabeh Fazaeli, writer, Parvin Bahmani, the researcher on QashQaie Tribe, Parvin Fakharinia, writer and the member of executive board of adolescent and children’s encyclopedia, Naser Karami, active in ecotourism, Fereidoon Momeni, professor of geography, attended in the ceremony.

The 5th world tourist guide day celebration was finished by holding an exhibition of cultural products of different provinces to introduce their activities in tourism. All the trade unions and tourist guide associations made big efforts to hold this big ceremony in Khuzestan and finally they could draw the governors’ attention to strengths and weaknesses of this historical province in tourism. Naming one of the squares in Ahvaz with the name of “tourist” represents their attention.

Tatilat-e-Now Research Center with the cooperation of universities, private, public and non-for-profit organizations is to hold a two-day long conference, regarding tourism and literature, in Tabriz, Iran, on 26-27 September, 2012. All those interested in tourism and literature are invited to submit their abstracts of no more than 3oo words by 21, May, 2012 to: info@literarytourism.ir .

Areas of interest include (But are not limited to):

1. Literature and tourism:

· Classical literature and tourism

· Modern literature and tourism

2. Principles of literary tourism

3. Literary tourism supply and demand Aspects

· Nature of tourists’ experiences visiting literary attractions

· Literary tourism typology

· Resources, attractions and activities of literary tourism

· Infrastructures, facilities and services of literary tourism

· Domestic and international markets of literary tourism

4. Planning, managing and marketing literary tourism

· Literary tourism planning process

· Strategic policies for literary tourism development

· Role of literary tourism in children education

· Marketing challenges of literary tourism

· Visitor management in literary tourism attractions

· Effective marketing for literary tourism

5. Impacts of literary tourism

· Economic impacts of literary tourism

· Tourism, literature and peace

· Social and cultural impacts of literary tourism

6. Development and evaluation of literary tourism projects

7. Iran’s potentials in literary tourism

8. Identification and designing literary tourism trail for Iran

9. Media and literary tourism

· Film and literary tourism

Conference scientific convener: Ismaeel Ghaderi ( Phd)

Conference executive: Arash Nooraghayee

Note: Deadline to submit abstracts (Final Call): 21 May 2012 (Decisions are reached in less than 4 weeks after the abstract submission)

Our aims:

The first aim is to provide opportunities for academics from a range of disciplines and countries to share their research both through the conference podium and its publications.

The second aim of the Conference is to provide opportunities for academics to receive informal in-depth feedback through discussions and to enable them to establish contact with professionals in other countries and institutions.

The third aim of the Conference is to introduce participants to potentials of Iran and other countries sharing the same cultural background in developing Literary Tourism.

Nasser Khosraw travel itinerary writing contest, which was named after Nasser Khosraw Ghobadini, a Persian poet and traveller, whose famous work, Safarnameh, is an acount of his travels, is going to be held this Thursday (Feb/2/2012)

The main objectives of this contest are as follows:

- Promotion of travelling culture and etiquette,

-Introduction of destinations to tourists,

- Revival of travel itinerary writing ,

-Encouraging to writing about events happened, and

- Introduction of historic buildings, natural environments and diverse beliefs and religions, lifestyles, and traditions in Iran.

I am going to Europe from 18th up to 28th of Oct. And i want to write HAIKU as a travel report.

I will try to write some and this is the first one:

Fall

The silence of weekend

Only the sound of leaf journey

MARYAM JAVAHER NIA: The Kurdish lifestyle has been portrayed through the statues a Kurdish sculptor carves. “Osman Rahmanzadeh”, an illiterate mason and self-taught sculptor, reveals the lifestyle of not only the Kurdish but any other tribes, clans, and so on, who live in Iran.

Before carving his unique and petite living statues, he reviews the scenario, has been written in his mind. By carving them he directs the scene, which is played by the concrete and wooden actors and actresses who discourse in an imaginary conversation in a set decoration, which is decorated by pigments. The applied pigments add to the lifelike quality his statues have since the animated figures are represented by the naturalistic pigmentations.

The worldwide community of museums will celebrate International Museum Day around May 18, 2011. Museum and Memory is the theme of International Museum Day 2011. Museums store memory and tell stories. They have numerous objects in their collections that are basic to the memory of the communities we live in. These objects are the expressions of our natural and cultural heritage. Many of them are fragile, some endangered and they need special care and conservation. International Museum Day 2011 will be an occasion for visitors to discover and rediscover individual and collective memory.

Memory is a preoccupation for organisations beyond the museum community. ICOM has therefore initiated close institutional partnerships with the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme (World Documentary Heritage), the Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA), the International Council of Archives (ICA), the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).

IMD 2011 will focus on the African continent whose cultural contribution to the world is often unknown and deserves to be promoted.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to encourage public awareness on the role of museums in the development of society. Momentum has been rising unabated ever since. In 2010, International Museum Day garnered record-breaking participation with almost 30,000 museums hosting events in more than 95 countries.

Themes; International Museums Day:

2010 - “Museums for social harmony”
2009 - “Museums and tourism”
2008 - “Museums as agents of social change and development”
2007 - “Museums and Universal Heritage”
2006 - “Museums and young people”
2005 - “Museums bridging cultures”
2004 - “Museums and Intangible Heritage”
2003 - “Museums and Friends”
2002 - “Museums and Globalisation”
2001 - “Museums: building community”
2000 - “Museums for Peace and Harmony in Society”
1999 - “Pleasures of discovery”
1998-1997 - “The fight against illicit traffic of cultural property”
1996 - “Collecting today for tomorrow”
1995 - “Response and responsibility”
1994 - “Behind the Scenes in Museums”
1993 - “Museums and Indigenous Peoples”

Tour Guide, Bio diversity, Responsibility

Iranian tour guides celebrated 21st of February in harmony with UNWTO’s theme
This year, Iranian tour guides by help of tour guide trade unions of different provinces celebrated tour guide world day on February 21st in the city of Ramsar (north of Iran) to maintain the sense of identity and to emphasize job duties and goals with view to nature touring.
Simultaneously with other countries,Tour guides from all over Iran celebrated 21st of February, one of the most important conventions of tour guides, in the city of Ramsar, located in Mazandaran Province, for the 4th year. More than 400 tour guides attended in this ceremony from different provinces such as Tehran, Esfahan, East and West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Semnan, Qazvin, Kerman, Golestan, Gilan, Mazandaran and the local people Who provide local houses, foods and tours for the passengers.
According to UNWTO’s slogan, “ Tour Guide, Bio diversity, Responsibility ”, and simultaneously with 40th anniversary of signing the world convention, Ramsar Convention (emphasizes the protection of world wetlands), this year the ceremony was held in Ramsar based on nature touring from 19th to 21st.
Developing knowledge of tour guides
At the first day, 12 workshops were held in university. It included different subjects such as introducing tourist attractions of Iran, Lake Urmia and threatening dangers, photography in nature, garbage and cleaning nature during trip, communication skills, knowing GPS, role of expertness in tourism, security and rescue in nature.
Using recyclable dishes
The second day program included two parts. In the morning, tour guides had new experience in Ramsar cable-cars and in the evening, they went to “ Chaldare “ area in Tonekabon and participated in sports matches. They watched “ Gile mardi “ wrestling (it can be registered as an intangible heritage) accompanied by local music. Handicrafts, local clothing, foods and drinks were noticeable for tour guides. To serve lunch, they used recyclable dishes to emphasize protecting nature. At the end, tour guides cleaned the area.
Cultural meeting with experts and tour guides
After the tour guides returned from “ Chaldare “, they saw Ramsar museum. At the same time, there was a cultural meeting in ” Negin “ restaurant. The audience were special guests:
1. Bijan Farhang Darre Shouri, ecologist and nature photographer.
2. Naser Karami, journalist and environment expert.
3. Mehdi Nabieian, writer.
4. Alireza Naderi, entomologist and butterfly expert.
5. Mahmoud Sakhtbaz, one of the most skillful tour guides about hunting tours.
6. Houman Jokar, expert in wildlife and ecotourism.
7. Fakhr o sadat Ghani, expert in nature touring.
8. Kamran Kamali, writer.
9. Hormoz Emami, director.
10. Iraj Milani, documentary film maker.
11. Representatives of trade unions in different provinces and tourism journalists.
In this meeting, the experts and journalists talked about environmental subjects and its relation with tourism and the role of tour guides. Before the meeting was finished, tour guides entered the restaurant but they didn’t make any problem.
World registration of Hirkani jungles
At the last day, before the ceremony, there was an exhibition that the representatives of different provinces presented their brochures and packages of cultural products to introduce their activities about tourism. Also, tourism journals and the sponsors attended. This year like the other years, the ceremony began at 9:57A.M. 21st of February to emphasize the importance of punctuality. The ceremony included some speeches, giving gifts and performing live music. The active persons in tourism, best tour guides and the sponsors were praised and tour guides demanded to register Hirkani jungles in UNESCO as one of natural heritages and also they wanted the municipality of Ramsar to name one of the streets in this city with the name of tour guide. As the permanent symbol, the statue of ceremony is being transferred to the place of ceremony, and this year, the statue was delivered to the representative of Ramsar by the representative of East-Azerbaijan.

Reported By: Azadeh Attar - Translated By: Somayeh Mahdavinia

2010
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
 
The music of the Bakhshis of Khorasan Iran (Islamic Republic of) 
The Pahlevani and Zoorkhanei rituals Iran (Islamic Republic of) 
The ritual dramatic art of Ta‘zīye Iran (Islamic Republic of) 
Traditional skills of carpet weaving in Fars Iran (Islamic Republic of) 
Traditional skills of carpet weaving in Kashan Iran (Islamic Republic of)

2009
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
 
Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz, Nevruz Azerbaijan – India – Iran (Islamic Republic of) – Kyrgyzstan – Pakistan – Turkey – Uzbekistan 
The Radif of Iranian music Iran (Islamic Republic of)

1980: Tourism’s contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace and mutual understanding
1981: Tourism and the quality of life
1982: Pride in travel: good guests and good hosts
1983: Travel and holidays are a right but also a responsibility for all
1984: Tourism for international understanding, peace and cooperation
1985: Youth Tourism: cultural and historical heritage for peace and friendship
1986: Tourism: a vital force for world peace
1987: Tourism for development
1988: Tourism: education for all
1989: The free movement of tourists creates one world
1990: Tourism: an unrecognized industry, a service to be released (”The Hague Declaration on Tourism”)
1991: Communication, information and education: powerlines of tourism development
1992: Tourism: a factor of growing social and economic solidarity and of encounter between people
1993: Tourism development and environmental protection: towards a lasting harmony
1994: Quality staff, quality tourism
1995: WTO: serving world tourism for twenty years
1996: Tourism: a factor of tolerance and peace
1997: Tourism: a leading activity of the twenty-first century for job creation and environmental protection
1998: Public-private sector partnership: the key to tourism development and promotion (Host: Mexico)
1999: Tourism: preserving world heritage for the new millennium (Host: Chile)
2000: Technology and nature: two challenges for tourism at the dawn of the twenty-first century (Host: Germany)
2001: Tourism: a toll for peace and dialogue among civilizations (Host: Iran)
2002: Ecotourism, the key to sustainable development (Host: Costa Rica)
2003: Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social harmony (Host: Algeria)
2004: Sport and tourism: two living forces for mutual understanding, culture and the development of societies (Host: Malaysia)
2005: Travel and transport: from the imaginary of Jules Verne to the reality of the 21st century (Host: Qatar)
2006: Tourism Enriches (Host: Portugal)
2007: Tourism opens doors for women (Host: Sri Lanka)
2008: Tourism Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change and global warming (Host: India)
2009: Tourism - Celebrating Diversity (Host: Africa.)
2010: Tourism & Biodiversity (Host: China.)