The Head of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Crafts of Eastern Azerbaijan of Iran stated on Tuesday that the city of Tabriz is ready to host tourist delegations from Kazakhstan. Both countries are interested in deepening interaction in the fields of tourism, museums, handicraft production, and cultural exchange.
Proposals for Tourism Development
These statements were made by Ahmad Hamzehzadeh during a meeting with the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Iran, Ontalap Onalbayev, according to the ILNA news agency. Hamzehzadeh emphasized that the historical and cultural ties between Iran and Kazakhstan serve as a basis for creating joint tourism projects.
He noted that the provincial tourism department is ready to receive specialized groups, representatives of travel agencies, and guides from Kazakhstan to visit Tabriz. The goal of such visits is to study opportunities for developing joint tourism packages and increasing the exchange of tourist flows.
Cultural and Economic Partnership
Furthermore, Hamzehzadeh proposed concluding a sister city agreement between Tabriz and a city in Kazakhstan, believing that such cooperation would strengthen cultural, tourism, and economic ties between the parties. He also initiated cooperation between the museums of the two countries, including holding joint exhibitions and exchanging historical artifacts in accordance with professional standards.
It was mentioned that the Museum of Azerbaijan in Tabriz, which is the second-largest archaeological museum in Iran after the National Museum of Iran, is ready to host exhibitions with exhibits from Kazakhstan, citing common historical ties, especially those related to the Timurid period.
Crafts and Historical Heritage
According to Hamzehzadeh, similar opportunities for joint exhibitions, experience exchange, and broader cooperation in traditional crafts exist due to the similarity between Kazakh crafts and Tabriz carpets. Tabriz, the capital of the Eastern Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran, is known for numerous historical attractions, including the UNESCO-listed Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex, the Jama Mosque of Tabriz, Arg of Tabriz, and Sinan Mosque.
The city served as the capital of the Ilkhanate ruler Mahmud Ghazan, and later became the capital of the Turkmen Kara Koyunlu before remaining an administrative center during the Safavid dynasty until the capital was moved to Qazvin in 1548. It is worth noting that Eastern Azerbaijan is one of Iran's leading tourist provinces, possessing over 4800 identified historical sites, more than 2200 of which are registered nationally, and six of which are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
