The Rais Ali Delvar Museum has reopened its doors in the southern city of Delvar following extensive physical and content reconstruction. Officials presented the museum as a place dedicated to documenting the resistance of local communities against British forces during the First World War.
During the opening ceremony on Thursday evening, the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi Amiri, emphasized that museums are part of the nation's collective memory and provide a platform for reinterpreting its historical and cultural identity.
Salehi Amiri stressed the need for the accurate and professional presentation of historical narratives to both the younger generation and domestic and international visitors. He reported that the Rais Ali Delvar Museum underwent comprehensive modernization and redesign, including facility repairs, revision and translation of exhibition content, landscaping, and preparation of the central courtyard.
A new relief wall depicting the history of Iranian resistance, particularly that of the residents of Tangestan, against colonial British forces was installed in the central courtyard. The Minister noted that steps had been taken to adapt this historical narrative for contemporary audiences.
Four books dedicated to Rais Ali Delvar, the history of resistance in Delvar, and the struggle of the people of Tangestan against British troops were also presented during the ceremony. Salehi Amiri added that museums require competent storytellers capable of conveying historical themes clearly and engagingly.
He stated that 'Rais Ali Delvar' has become part of the collective cultural memory of the people in Southern Iran and Tangestan, and the museum can serve as a center for preserving this historical identity and passing it on to future generations.
The Minister also highlighted the historical significance of Bushehr as a center of resistance in modern Iranian history, suggesting that the region's heritage could be integrated into new cultural tourism products. He proposed turning the history of Southern Iran's resistance against foreign powers into a subject of research and tourism, utilizing museums, storytelling, cultural tourism, and specialized programs for different audiences.
Salehi Amiri also outlined the ministry's plans for developing coastal and maritime tourism. He indicated that the southern coast of Iran, stretching from Chabahar and Makran (or Makran), to Hormozgan, as well as the islands of the Persian Gulf, Bushehr, and Khuzestan, could be developed as a unified tourist corridor. Investments in accommodation, piers, and tourism services, along with the expansion of sea tours, will help local communities and the economy of Bushehr benefit from the region's potential.
Rais Ali Delvar (1882–1915) was a military leader and a prominent figure in Iranian resistance against British forces after the occupation of Bushehr in 1915 during the First World War, while Iran declared neutrality in the war. Born in the port city of Bushehr, Delvar organized resistance in Tangestan after British troops occupied Bushehr and Delvar. He died on September 2, 1915, at the age of 33. His former home in Delvar, near Bushehr, was previously converted into an ethnological museum, where some of his personal belongings, historical documents, as well as firearms and horse tack are kept.