Wildlife protected zones of Iran rank among the world’s top tourist sites. Iran is home to different types of wildlife, which underscores the importance of creating special protected zones.
Some of the most important zones include Jahan-Nama Protected Zone in Gorgan, Kavir National Park and Wildlife Zone in Qom, Tondoureh National Park near Qouchan and Dena Wildlife Protected Zone in Kohkilouyeh-Boyerahmad province, IRNA reported.
Jahan-Nama
Spanning over 30,650 hectares, this zone is located on the southern heights of Gorgan and southeast of Kordkooye. A recreational area for the people of Gorgan and its nearby villages in the past, it was designated a protected zone in 1973.
The zone is surrounded by important districts like Torkat, Chalestan, Cholqoleh, Aq-Reza, Chakel-Geda, Landeh-Kooh, Talou, Khoshdasti, Landou and Maqzi.
Jahan-Nama boasts of wild goat, wild sheep, deer, panther, wolf, bear, owl, eagle, weasel and porcupine. Some of the valuable plant species found in the zone are known by such local names as Rosh, Sorkhdar, Kolahe Mir Hassan, Bolandmaza Namdar, Ras and Darmaneh.
Sefid Rood, Tarkan, Mahzi, Char Bagh, Ziyarat, Marsang, Sabumargah, Shahpasand, Hajiabad, Gachian, Mord-Cheshmeh, Vara, Khosh Dasti, Kalichal, Qormehtou and Pazeebon are among the well-known rivers and springs flowing through this zone.
The monuments dotting the zone include the ancient center of Kamarsarak, Jelingbling, Imamzadeh Razi and Marzieh, and the tower near Radkan.

Kavir Park and Wildlife Zone
A section of Qom province, especially near Qamar Rood Village, lies within Kavir National Park, which is an untouched area that hosts rare wildlife and herbal species.
Kavir National Park has a desert and arid ecosystem. Its scanty rainfall has given rise to herbal species that can withstand the region’s climatic conditions. Similarly, wildlife species have adapted themselves to the zone’s meager resources and preservation efforts have helped increase their numbers.
In fact, the vegetation found in the zone’s mountainous regions offers suitable sustenance to unique wildlife and plant species.
The zone hosts antelope, deer, panther, wild ass, partridge, dull yellow partridge and flamingo.

Tondoureh Park
Located between the cities of Dargaz and Qouchan, Tondoureh National Park has an area of 57,000 hectares, of which 20,000 hectares constitute the protected zone.The park is of special interest due to its rich natural resources and wildlife. It is located near Iran’s border with the Republic of Turkmenistan.
Dena Wildlife Protected Zone
Dena Wildlife Protected Zone is one of the most beautiful natural spots of Kohkilouyeh-Boyerahmad province. It is situated in a mountainous area with high peaks and deep valleys.
The northern, western and southern frontiers of this zone are surrounded by Marir and Besha rivers. The Dena mountain range forms the axis of several water reservoirs fed by rivers and numerous springs.
The zone is rich in vegetation for therapeutic use and consumption. Kikom, wild plum and oak trees proliferate in the zone that also houses the famous Dena Bird Park.
Brown bear, different types of eagles and wild cats, leopards, wolves, falcons and partridges can be observed in this protected zone.
Unfortunately, these zones are not well known to Iranians, leave alone foreigners. They deserve greater publicity and the attention of tourist officials.

Iran plans to hold a Persian Gulf archeology conference at Durham University in Britain on June 30.
The two-day conference will present the latest archeological achievements and prove Iran’s sovereignty over the Persian Gulf since thousands of years, Presstv reported.
“Iran’s Archeological Research Center is organizing the conference in cooperation with the University of Pennsylvania and Italy’s University of Bologna,“ said Taha Hashemi, head of the Research Center of Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.
The official also said Iranian and foreign archeologists will present findings of their archeological studies to confront anti-cultural measures by Persian Gulf Arab sheikhdoms to distort the name “Persian Gulf“.
According to Hashemi, development of farming communities in the coastal regions of the Persian Gulf; a study of Iran’s economic and cultural relations with other littoral communities during the Bronze Age; and a review of economic, social and military significance of the Persian Gulf throughout the Parthian, Sassanid and Safavid eras are some of the topics to be discussed at the conference.
The name “Persian Gulf“ is officially recognized by the United Nations and other international organizations while historical facts regarding the waterway are endorsed by authoritative documents.

Iranians have been skillful creators of metal works since the prehistoric era, reviving metal with splendid artistic patterns.
Many Iranian texts, including Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), have testified to the existence of creative metalwork in the country, reported Press TV.
Living in a land rich in mines, Iranians were the first nation to use metal for creating a wide range of metallic instruments and alloys. An epigraph found in Susa shows Iranian metal workers blowing into bellows used to forcefully pass air into a forge and raise the temperature to a suitable degree for melting metals. Bronze and silver objects found in Susa and Tappe-Hesar archeological sites show that rapid replacement of stone arms and tools with daggers and lances in ancient Elam.


Metallic objects, including weapons, equipment and ornaments for horses and different types of dishes were discovered during excavations near the Zagros mountain range. One of the greatest metalwork treasures was discovered in the northern Province of Gilan in 1961. The Marlik metal dishes showed an advanced form of art dating back to three thousands years ago.
Some 63 pieces of skillfully made gold, silver and bronze dishes were unearthed from 53 graves belonging to rulers, commanders and their families. One of the famous Marlik pieces is a cup made of pure and flexible gold. The cup is decorated with four embossed winged cows, created by hammer work. A unique characteristic of Marlik metalwork is that it depicts various living creatures while they are in motion.
During to the Sassanid era, metal works became representations of great dexterity. The jewel-inlaid metal containers and silver cups of this era all have a breathtaking beauty.


The Solomon Cup, made by Sassanid artists, is one of the most beautiful artifacts of the era. The golden cup is covered inside and out with rubies.
During the Islamic era a variety of metal shapes and forms were created, including silver utensils, ornamental objects and Quran cases. One of the most glorious ages of Iranian metalwork after the advent of Islam was the Seljuk dynasty, when artists created innovative designs and decorations on gold, silver and bronze dishes.
Seljuk artists sealed a special sign on their metal works, which showed a falcon sitting over a little bird, thrusting its beak into the bait’s body.
The art gradually improved till a new style and variety emerged in the Safavid era. Metalwork are distinguished by their unique designs and Persian scripts.
The symbol of Safavid artists was a lion attacking a reindeer. The beauty and elegance of the original and innovative metal works of this era has affected many young artists, an influence which has continued to the present day.

Archeologists have discovered grains in Iran’s Sialk Mound that are known to be the origins of agricultural societies in the Neolithic Period.
Remains of plant fibers found in the northern side of the Sialk Mound revealed that wheat, lentils, flax and barley were largely used by Neolithic dwellers of the mound, reported Press TV.
The study being conducted by UK’s Durham University uncovered the mysteries of planting methods used in the Neolithic Sialk and the systemic relations between the mound and its vicinity.
The findings released by the archeological team show that humans shifted from being carnivorous to herbivorous in the Neolithic Period.
Archeologists from Iran, Germany, Britain, Italy and France have been studying the northern mound of Sialk.
The Sialk Mound, located in Kashan is believed to be the origin of human evolution and religious thought.