Yazd to become first Iranian “City of Tourists”

Yazd Province’s tourism department has launched a pilot project to register the UNESCO-listed historical city as the first “City of Tourists” in Iran.

Talking to media on Sunday, Fatemeh Daneshyazdi, director of Yazd province’s tourism department said “The results of arrangements being carried out in Yazd to transform the city into City of Tourists will be generalized for application in other Iranian tourist cities”.

The plan of “City of Tourists” was introduced to prop up hospitality and transportation infrastructure in the ancient city, following UNESCO’s registration of Yazd in its World Heritage list in June.

The idea has been supported by Yazd Municipality and the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization to make the city a role model for other most-visited cities across the country.

Yazd is the first adobe city in the world and is the second historical city after Venice, Italy.

Yazd in central Iran has been a manifestation of the brightest cultural heritage and ancient civilization throughout history with human settlement dating back to the third millennium BC.

Its historical monuments include Yazd Jame Mosque, Seyyed Rokneddin Mausoleum,  Amir Chaqmaq Complex, Lariha House, Alexander Prison, Narin Castle, Chak Chak Temple and Water Museum.

More than 70 localities of Yazd known as “Yazd Historical Texture” have been registered on the National Heritage List since 2005.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the historical texture of Yazd to its list of world heritage sites on July 9, 2017.

MG/MMF