The first time I saw the clear Milky Way was in Yazd, Iran. The reporter was curled up in his sleeping bag, showing his head, looking up at the night sky, trying to remember what the Milky Way looked like. While enjoying the spectacular star sky, I suddenly thought that there might be the same beautiful star sky in Egypt, Syria and Afghanistan, but most of my colleagues stationed abroad in those countries dare not risk driving out of the city in the middle of the night, let alone lying in the wasteland not far from the main road to see the stars.
Since Egypt, Syria and other traditional tourism hotspots in the Middle East have suffered from wars, riots and terrorism in recent years, more foreign tourists have begun to experience the Middle East culture in Iran, which is relatively peaceful and stable. "Iran is like a 'safe island', where there is culture and beauty, and there is no danger," said Mehdi Jamrinezad, deputy mayor of Isfahan, explaining the rise of Iran's tourism industry.
[One hotel room is hard to find]
Isfahan is the largest tourist city in Iran, enjoying the reputation of "half the world". Deputy Mayor Jamrinezad said that the number of tourists to Isfahan this year is about three times that of last year. During the peak period from August to October, the number of foreign tourists visiting every day exceeded 1000. In the previous 14 years, the number of foreign tourists in Isfahan on a single day never exceeded 1000.
Jamrinezad chose to be interviewed by Xinhua News Agency reporters at the Abbas Hotel. This five-star hotel, reconstructed from the post station of the Safavid Dynasty, has a history of more than 300 years. It is reported that since May this year, the hotel has been in a state of full occupancy. If you do not book two months in advance, it is almost hard to find a room. Hotels with poorer conditions than the Abbas Hotel also need to book in advance.
This tourism craze is not only seen in Isfahan. According to Pasagad Travel Agency in Iran, the four and five-star hotels in Yazid and Shiraz, the other two major tourist cities in Iran, are fully booked at present and only accept reservations for next year.
The hotel is full because the room price is cheap. Some four-star hotels offer double rooms for less than $100. However, there are also some hotels that fail to meet the international star standards due to their disrepair or poor management.
Policy changes are also an important reason for Iran's rising tourism. As Western countries began to suspend some sanctions against Iraq, the newly inaugurated Rouhani government last year took the development of tourism as one of the measures to improve foreign relations and international image, and asked the embassy to speed up the efficiency of visa issuance. The visas that used to be available for at least one month can now be completed within one week.
According to the data of Iran's tourism and cultural institutions, Iran received 4.5 million foreign tourists in the last Iranian calendar year (from March 2013 to March 2014), an increase of 35% year on year, and its tourism revenue exceeded US $6 billion. Jamrinezad expects faster growth this year.
[Mainly European tourists]
The reporter learned that at present, tourists to Iran mainly come from neighboring countries and Europe.
German tourist Zuckerman sits by the fountain pool in Isfahan Imam Square, reading Hafez poetry. "Being in an environment full of historical and cultural characteristics and experiencing the wisdom of Persian poets is like going through the Safavid period," he told reporters.
Isfahan means "barracks", and the Imam Square in the center of the city is the parade ground of this "barracks". Surrounded by such historic buildings as the Alikapu Palace, the Sheikh Lotfra Mosque, the Imam Mosque and the Grand Bazaar, it is the second largest square in the world after Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
Zuckerman said that German tourists come to Iran because they like the culture here. In addition, the two countries have certain historical origins. There are many Iranians living in Germany. Therefore, compared with other Westerners, Germans know more about Iran and have less prejudice. Another important factor is that Iran is "not far from Germany. It is cheap to eat, live and travel. It is also easy to get visas".
Iran is also a pilgrimage destination for Shiite Muslims and Zoroastrians in neighboring countries. Mashhad in the north of Iran and Qom in the middle of Iran, as Shiite Islamic holy cities, attract many Muslims from Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Lebanon and other countries to worship and study the teachings every year. This has also driven the tourism development of these cities to a certain extent.
In the famous fire worship temple in Yazid, Nishant from India, dressed in white clothes and hat, helped his seventy year old father gaze at the sacred fire in the altar with a solemn expression. It is said that since the 5th century AD, this altar of sacred fire has migrated several times, but it has never been extinguished. Nichant said, "To worship the sacred fire is not only to realize my father's wish, but also to pray for the blessing of the god of light, Ahura Mazda."
In the fire worship temple, there are many white clad believers from India, like Nishante, who are either chanting words or gazing at the holy fire. After the destruction of the Persian Empire of the Sassanian Dynasty by Arabia, Zoroastrianism, as the state religion, was replaced by Islam, and pious Zoroastrians were forced to go underground or exile overseas.
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