Semnan Province has potential to become a tourist destination
Over 15 million pilgrims pass annually through the north-central province of Semnan to visit the holy shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), the eighth Imam of Shia Muslims.
The transformation of the province from crossroads to a tourist destination is one of the main objectives of the local officials, IRNA wrote.
Regarding the abundance of the cultural, historical and natural heritage sites in the province, the target can be realized in the near future.
Extending in an area of 97,500km, Semnan Province is one of the largest in the country. It neighbors North Khorasan, Golestan and Mazandaran provinces from the north, South Khorasan and Isfahan provinces from the south, Khorasan Razavi Province from the east, and Tehran and Qom provinces from the west.
Between the Alborz Mountains and desert lands, Semnan Province benefits from geographical diversity.
The southern part the land has a hot and dry climate, while its central region has moderate weather, and its northeast is cold and dry.
You can visit forests in the north of the province and arid deserts in the south.
The province has 2,016 kilometers of roads, two international airports, and an active railway track.
Over 1,800 historical, cultural and natural sites have been recognized in Semnan Province, 868 of which have been registered on Iran’s National Heritage List.
The Grand Mosque and Arg Gate in Semnan, Bayazid Bastami Complex in Bastam, and Tarikhaneh Mosque and Tappeh Hesar in Damghan are among the most popular historical heritages of the province.
The Grand Mosque of Semnan was built in the first Islamic century over the ruins of a Sassanid (226-651 CE) fire temple. The mosque was expanded during the Seljuk (1038-1118 CE), Ilkhanid (1256-1335) and Timurid (1370-1507) eras. The building has a courtyard, a large ivan (terrace), and three shabestans (underground spaces usually found in traditional mosques) in the north, south and east.
Abr and Rudbarak forests, Kavir National Park, Khar Turan National Park and Darband Cave are popular natural heritages of Semnan Province.
In Abr forest, one of the most extraordinary sights of Shahrud, the sky seems to approach the earth. It is one of the oldest forests in the world, dating back to the third geological period. It has been registered on Iran’s National Heritage List.
Semnan Province has 15 hotels, one hotel-apartment, five guest houses, 19 traditional accommodations, eight tourism complexes, and 94 ecolodges.