Cultural Tours

Iran Cultural Tours

Dear readers,

 As a reputable Iran tour operator, we at Deytrips are excited to introduce you to Iran’s rich culture and provide you with an unforgettable experience during your trip. In this article, we will explore Iran’s cultural attractions in detail and share valuable tips to enhance your travel experience. Our cultural tours cater to all interests and preferences, from historical sites to traditional Iranian cuisine and music. Let us take you on a meaningful and enjoyable trip that leaves a lasting impression. Contact us for more information and to begin planning your trip.

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What is called a Cultural Tours?

Cultural tourism is the tourism style which focuses on cultural attractions. According to the global definition, cultural tourism falls into two categories:

1- The first type covers visiting tangible cultural heritage, including museums, historical sites, archeology, architecture and etc

2- The second type covers intangible cultural heritage including rituals, culture, lifestyle and … which are related to anthropology. 

In what follows, we will explain this in detail

What is the tangible cultural heritage

Tangible cultural heritage refers to physical and material productions and constructions made by humans and passed on generation to generation in a society. Taj Mahal in India, the great wall in China, Persepolis and Naqshe Jahan in Iran all fall into this category. All of these constructions and architectures are created thanks to the human’s creativity and enjoy a universal cultural significance. Furthermore, these objects, monuments and constructions, despite being physical, contribute to the formation of national ideals, values and beliefs.

These sites are not only important for the nations, but also are recognized and acknowledged universally. That’s why UNESCO – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – has devised a lengthy list of protected tangible cultural heritage sites. Countries can request and suggest that UNESCO add to the list what they consider to be culturally important, and if confirmed, it will be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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What is the intangible cultural heritage?

It is somehow more difficult to define intangible cultural heritage

Basically, intangible heritage, as defined by UNESCO, is the non physical intellectual wealth, such as folklor, rituals, beliefs, traditions, knowledge and language. The day of the dead in Mexico, Tango music and dance in Argentina and Uruguay, Pilgrimage to the St. Thaddeus Apostle Monastery and traditional skills of carpet weaving in Iran are among the intangible cultural heritages. 

As you may have noticed, it is more difficult to define intangible cultural heritage, however, it is more diverse and covers almost every traditional thing with cultural ties.

 
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An accurate definition and statistic on cultural tourism

According to the world tourism organization, 37% of international travel is culturally motivated, and this process is increasingly growing. 

The dramatic growth in this type of tourism has caught the attention of policymakers, and it is clearly reflected in Iran’s development plans. According to the experts, cultural tourism is people traveling from their residence to places of cultural, historical and memorial attractions. This trip is done to seek and get information and satisfy cultural needs.

 

Should you be interested in knowing more about different cultures, congratulations! Cultural trips, and Iran cultural trips in particular, are a good option for you.

Cultural tourism in Iran

Iran, enjoying thousands of years of civilization, has got several tangible and intangible cultural heritages, among which, many have been inscribed in Unesco’s world heritage list. Let’s take a look at these attractions from a tourist’s point of view who has just arrived in Iran and accompany him/her through his/her journey to Iran destination. Imagine being in Imam Khomeini international airport, just arrived in Iran. Maybe you have arrived in Tehran in Moharam (lunar month). Moaning groups may have caused traffic in the streets. However, this mourning ritual would attract you as such to get off the car and continue your way on foot. To make the most out of this ritual and atmosphere around it, you may want to check out Ta’zieh in a Tekye, where a dramatic and passionate play is being performed. Ta’zieh is a type of theater, which history goes back to more than 3000 years ago. In Ta’zieh, the story of bravery and courage of Shia imams and religious great men is staged. Before the spread of Islam in Iran, the story of Persian myths used to be performed in the same way.

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Cultural Tour Destinations in Iran

Iran has always been popular and rich in terms of its rich history and culture. Historical attractions, architecture, literature, and the various types of tribes, languages, religion and climates in Iran have made it an important cultural-historical tourism destination among Iranian and international tourists. Persepolis in Shiraz, Naqsh-e Jahan square in Isfahan, Persian gardens and … all are considered national and world treasures.  Mashhad with its pilgrimage and religious attractions, Isfahan with all of its historical sites, original culture and art, Shiraz with its glorious display of ancient Iran in Persepolis, and Yazd, the second historical city in the world, are some of the most important cultural destinations in Iran that attract loads of domestic and foreign tourists from Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Oman, Russia and Germany and many other countries.

The Necessity of Cultural Tourism

Today, one of the strongest motivations for traveling is getting to know the culture of other people around the world. Culture plays an important and critical role in establishing social relations and driving economic development. Cultural tourism and learning about people’s culture while traveling to Iran, while being very attractive and spectacular for tourists, will also be economically beneficial in the long run. If tourism is socially and culturally well planned, managed and developed responsibly, it can bring a variety of socio-cultural benefits.

Cultural tourism benefits for the tourists

Cultural tourism helps us to discover and realize the roots and origins of the countries and different cultures. As we learn about the past and origins of nations, we learn more about them and who we are. Who are we and how did we get here? Knowing about the countries’ history helps us better realize the complex society we are living in. as Bernard Carnotensis stated, “ We are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants”. That is we owe a great part of our progress to the ancient people. Therefore we owe our ancestors and its the history of countries and nations that forms our world today.

Cultural tourism helps us experience the past. The tourists are not affected merely by visiting an art work, a mosque, or a historical construction. Rather, they are also driven to explore the past atmosphere and the respective intangible cultural heritage including traditions and folklore. 
A visit to the ruins of a pre-Islamic village or Chogha Zanbil Ziggurat will make visitors think about life in that era and imagine the ordinary scenes of everyday life in those ancient times.

Cultural tourism helps us to enrich our personality and social cognition. Understanding and exploring different sites and cultures leads to mental growth and openness of mind, thereby resulting in personal and social enrichment. 

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Cultural tourism helps us improve our aesthetic and thinking level. Art and reflecting on it have an absolutely intrinsic value. People are always looking for beauty and perfection, and can satisfy this need by reflecting on any kind of art such as a painting or a statue. 
Cultural tourism can inspire artists to create. Pink mosque’s stained glass in Shiraz, Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque’s tiling in Isfahan, Perspolis’s glory and alluring architecture, are rich arts which encompass numerous and endless uncreated arts in them.

Iran is ranked the 9th in the world in terms of tangible and intangible cultural heritage inscribed on the UNESCO list. These cultural heritages account for less than one percent of all  the cultural heritage found in Iran. Iran and its rich culture provide a good context for those interested in cultural tours to embark on a journey of art, history, research, and of course, culture.

Now it’s my favorite part’s turn, that is trip insiders which have been barely addressed in guide books or pages.

 

In order to make your trip more pleasant, Deytrips offers you these tips as a gift:

On your trip to Shiraz, make sure to try and taste Faloodeh that are sold and served behind Karim Khani Arg.

Give Nasir ol-mulk mosque (pink mosque) a visit before 10 am so you can see the beautiful and colorful arrays of light coming into the mosque.

Chah Haj Mirza Cafe is a must-see during your trip to Isfahan. This coffee house is the oldest one dating back to more

On your trip toTehran, A visit to the Carpet Museum is highly recommended

On your trip to Kerman, you can also visit Rafsanjan to visit the beautiful pistachio trees.

Almost all Iran cities have a traditional covered bazaar. Be sure to visit them and, if possible, their roof. The roof of Tabriz Bazaar is especially recommended.

On your cultural trip to Iran, like anywhere else in the world, you can travel on your own as a backpacker. However, to make the most out of your time and visit the most and best of sights in a convenient amount of time, we recommend you to travel in a tour and use a travel guide.

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The good news is that Deytrips tour & travel agency has not only designed so many cultural tours, but also can design your custom tour according to your interests and targets! (to make use of this option, please refer to make your tour”

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Iran is indeed a rich country in terms of cultural destinations, but it should be mentioned that an adventure trip to Iran can make one of your best life experiences as well. Also, Iran eco-cultural trip, Iran ski trip and … are among the popular trips to Iran.

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Anyway, thank you for sticking to the end of this article and hope to be your host and continue our discussion in Chah Haj Mirza coffee house 😉


Reference :Deytrips tour & travel agency