During a specialized meeting on the theme of tourism in Ray, urban officials highlighted the multiple capacities of the city to draw visitors which have suffered neglect largely due to its close proximity to the capital.
Hedayatollah Jamalipour, governor of Ray, noted that although abundant in potential sources of income for the country, the city is troubled from within and has lost its identity.
"The reason is its contiguity with Tehran," he said.
He regretted that in development projects, the priority has always been given to Tehran, as a result of which cities that were once considered the suburbs of Ray are now in a better condition. Jamalipour called for the City Council's assistance in restoring the past glory of Ray as an independent city.
"To help address the issues and preserve the historical qualities of Ray, the council should grant the city special municipal authority," he said.
Ray is currently managed together with Tehran and Tajrish by a single municipality and city council. Jamalipour has frequently requested an independent municipality, asserting that the current management structure cannot meet the needs of the city.
Due Attention Lacking
Hassan Khalilabadi, head of the cultural heritage and tourism commission of the City Council, also pointed out that the attractions of Ray have remained unknown even for its own residents. "It is essential to introduce the landmarks to the people of Tehran, Ray and Tajrish in the first place," he said, suggesting that a lesson concerning heritage sites could be added to school syllabuses.
Due to this lack of information, tour leaders with specialized knowledge of such places are also very few which calls for more educational programs to fill the gap, according to Khalilabadi. He lamented that while other countries promote trivial features as attractions, Iran ignores its numerous true tourist sites.
The mayor of District 20 Ahmad Safavi suggested the publication of a comprehensive book on Ray's history of civilization and its prominent figures so that well-organized information would be available for enthusiasts.
Enhance Rather Than Erode
Ahmad Masjed-Jamei, another city councilor, blamed the obscurity of the city's forsaken treasure on development projects, appealing for the suspension of certain projects before embarking on plans to protect and promote attractions.
"The first step is to determine what projects should not be carried out. Yazd gained a global status because it refused to implement certain plans," he emphasized.
Masjed-Jamei stressed that Ray is an extract of Iran and Tehran's history, to which features should be added rather than be chipped away. "No ruler has ruined the relics of its predecessors throughout history but has added to them instead, while we have adopted a destructive approach from the beginning [which would sacrifice ancient sites for urban development]."
Islamic Hub
However, Delavar Bozorgnia, provincial head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, commended the efforts in promoting the tourism capacities of Ray, predicting an imminent turnaround for the industry in the city. "Each year, around eight million pilgrims visit the Shah-Abdol-Azim Shrine; and with a focus on earning revenue from this potential, we can have a transition from a mere sale of raw material and a simple visit over to an income-generating package," he said.
He added that there are plans to introduce Ray as the cultural capital of the Islamic world in the coming years along with Isfahan and Tabriz.
"This nomination would convince all executive bodies to better appreciate the properties," he said.
The history of settlement in Ray dates back to 6,000 BCE. It was the largest city at the time of the Parthian Empire (247 BC–224 AD).
Its main sites include Shah-Abdol-Azim Shrine, Cheshmeh-Ali, (a hill with a spring), Toghrol Tower, Anyanaj Tower, Gebri Crypt and Paintings of Monarchs on Ashkan Mountain, Ebn-e Babooyeh Cemetery and Javan Mard-e Qassab Tomb, among other monuments.
