TEHRAN – 11,000 tourists visited a museum of artefacts, identified as ancient Hasanruhir, on this hill in western Azabaijan, during the present year of Iran that began on March 21st.
He told the IRNA that visits to Hasanlu Hill have increased by 20% this year, adding that the most visited during Nowruz holidays.
In addition to the hills, Hasanru International Wetlands, Hasanru Castle and Hasanru Dam are historic and natural attractions visited by tourists, he said.
He also said that apart from domestic tourists, Türkiye, Chinese and Japanese tourists visited the ancient sites this year.
In addition to the Hasanlu site, the excavated artifact museum, which includes hundreds of ancient objects, including pottery, bronze, stone, bone crafts, and war tools, is open to visitors.
Hasanru, an ancient village in northwestern Iran, is approaching completion of its related documents for the inscription, as one of the best tourist villages, a famous label by UN tourism.
Hasanru is one of eight Iranian villages appointed to the 2025 accreditation list for UN tourism, a senior official from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said last April.
During a recent visit to the village, Mostafa Fatemi’s Seyed, the province’s Director of the National Tourism Bureau, described Hasanlu as “a mirror that reflects the full range of historic tourist attractions.”
Officials highlighted the rich consolidation of the village’s cultural heritage, tourism potential and the production of handicrafts.
“Hasanlu has outstanding capabilities in cultural heritage, ecotourism and nature-based attractions,” says Fatemi. “The existence of the ancient Hasanru Hill, one of the oldest known civilizations, has greatly enhanced the village’s historical status.”
He also noted the village’s diverse offerings, including locally made handicrafts, nearby wetlands that serve as bird watching shelters, and the growing number of tourist facilities. These will strengthen Hasanlu’s appeal against both national and international travelers, he said.
Fatemi further highlighted the village’s strengths in sustainable development, citing economic, social, environmental stability, and the preservation of cultural and historical assets.
According to the Encyclopedia of Britannica, Hasanru lived between 2100 and about 825 BC, but its richest period was dated excavated in the 10th and 9th centuries BC. During periods often referred to as “mannan” after the people who lived in the area, it is characterized by grey pottery with black and red varieties, with black products of finer quality and perhaps made to mimic metal containers.
Experts have found similarities to the motifs of Hasanlu objects in Elam, Assyria, North Syria, and Urartu, indicating that Iran not only received considerable cultural and artistic stimulation from other regions, but also had an impact on the Middle East.
The excavations revealed important knowledge of the prehistoric periods of northwest Iran, particularly in the late 2nd century BC and early 1st century BC.
KD