Efforts to prepare Tabriz for 2018, when it is supposed to serve as the Capital of Islamic Tourism, shifted into high gear on Tuesday with the opening of a secretariat tasked with planning and organizing related events.
Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan Province, was bestowed the honor during the Ninth Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (December 21-23, 2015) in Niamey, Niger.
The title was given to the Turkish city of Konya in 2016.
Tabriz Mayor Sadeq Najafi said in the opening ceremony that “40 trillion rials ($1.1 million) have been set aside” to make preparations in the city, IRNA reported.
Masoud Soltanifar, the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said Tabriz’s performance in 2018 “is essential to turning Iran into a hub of Muslim tourists”.
Tabriz predates the Islamic conquest of Persia. It served as the capital city of a number of dynasties following the conquest.
During its long history, the city was ransacked by Mongolian raiders and Ottoman invaders and razed by devastating earthquakes, but was rebuilt every time.
Tabriz hosts a number of famous religious sites, including Jame’ Mosque of Tabriz and Arg of Tabriz, and it boasts a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tabriz Bazaar.
Last September, Tabriz was declared a World Craft City by the World Craft Council.
