TEHRAN – A media tour of Semnan province on Wednesday took journalists to five historical and cultural sites and provided an overview of the city’s architectural heritage and conservation efforts, IRNA reported.
The tour began at the 1,000-year-old minaret of Semnan’s Jamek Mosque, considered one of the oldest and best-preserved minarets in Iran.
The origins of this structure are said to date back to the Al-e-Ziyar dynasty, at least 110 years before the Seljuk period. He said restoration work in recent months included cleaning the upper section, reopening the basement, which had been closed for 50 years to create a gallery, washing 90-year-old carpets and preparing lighting and cultural programs for a commemoration ceremony in December 2024.
Our second stop was the Adab Historian in the Kone Dej district, a Qajar period building famous for its brickwork and traditional stucco carvings. Officials said the complex is being restored for administrative and cultural use and could serve as a model for revitalizing surrounding historic housing.
The journalists then visited Arg Gate, a remnant of a Qajar-era fortress in Semnan, before moving on to the Maharat district in the city’s west. There, the group toured the Zabkan Mosque, which was severely damaged by a flood in 1961 but still partially survived. Nearby, they toured the Zabkan Icehouse, a Qajar-era structure that was restored this year and is on Iran’s national heritage list.
The tour ended at Khairabad village. There, a renovated historic bathhouse now operates as Semnan’s first handicraft house. The center offers training in eight areas, including jazzy weaving, pottery, leather embroidery, carpet weaving, pottery, and jewelry cutting. Organizers say the facility purchases and sells students’ products as part of an effort to support local artisans.
Semnan is home to 156 national heritage sites, ranging from bazaar complexes to religious monuments, highlighting the depth of the province’s cultural landscape.
KD