Celebrating Women’s History Month (March 1-31), IMDb published a video on Twitter to take a look back at “cinematic history in salute of the pioneering women directors and their groundbreaking work,” the online entertainment database tweeted along the video that featured scenes of Bani-Etemad’s 2014 drama, Tales (Ghesseh-ha).

Born in Tehran in 1954, Bani-Etemad – who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in film studies from the Dramatic Arts University in Tehran – is widely considered as the most important female director in Iran, titled ‘First Lady of Iranian Cinema’.

Her movies and documentaries picture social and cultural issues and complications in modern-day Iran.

The Tales – which adopts an episodic narrative – portrays the fates of seven characters of Bani-Etemad’s previous flicks.

The film won the award for Best Screenplay (written by Bani-Etemad and Farid Mostafavi) at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.

It also brought Bani-Etemad the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award – dedicated to best film – at Kolkata International Film Festival in 2014, as well as the Special Jury Prize at Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia) in the same year.

Also featured in IMDb’s short video were the likes of Sofia Coppola, Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Chinese-American film director Lulu Wang, Sarah Polley, and Barbra Streisand.

Rakhshan Banietemad

Rakhshan Banietemad, born in 1954 Tehran, began to make documentaries for the Iranian National Television in 1979, right after graduating from the University of Dramatic Arts, Tehran. From 1979 to 1987 she focused on making only documentaries. In 1987, she directed her first feature film Off the Limits. In 1991, she became the first woman recipient of the Best Director award for Nargess at Fajr International Film Festival in Iran. In 1995, she won the Bronze Leopard for The Blue Veiled at the Locarno Film Festival. Under the Skin of the City, her next film, was the highest grossing film in Iran in 2000. This film along with Gilaneh (2005) and Mainline (2006), garnered major awards in more than 50 film festivals.

While Banietemad’s feature films have been acclaimed and honored worldwide, her documentaries have also been successful and popular internationally. Our Times …, was the first documentary ever to be released in the movie theatres in Iran in 2002. It was also screened in highly prestigious and prominent festivals and TV channels such as IDFA, Sundance Film Festival and ARTE.

Banietemad started her work by making documentaries and has never ended the strong connection she has always had with her works. Making documentaries have been her main way of connecting with the society and social issues. Her approach and in depicting social issues has been so strong and effective that her works have always resulted in causing change in the lives of her documentaries’ characters.

In 2008, she received an honorary doctorate from University of London, in 2010, she was awarded the Prix Henri Langlois from Vincennes International Film Festival. Her latest feature film, Tales, was awarded the Best Screenplay prize in the main competition section of 2014 Venice International Film Festival.

More recently, she has joined the Academy Oscar, Writers branch in 2017.

Feature Films

• Tales (Ghesseh ha), 2014
• Heiran (producer), Director: Shalizeh Arefpour, 2009
• Mainline (Khun bazi), 2006
• Gilaneh, 2005
• Under the Skin of the City (Zir-e pust-e shahr), 2000
• Baran and the Native (Baran va bumi), part of feature-film Kish, 1998
• The May Lady (Banu-ye ordibehesht), 1997
• The Blue Veiled (Rusari abi), 1994
• Nargess, 1991
• Foreign Currency (Poul-e khareji), 1989
• Canary Yellow (Zard-e qanari), 1988
• Off the Limits (Kharej az mahdudeh), 1987

DOCUMENTARIES

• Touran Khanom, Co director, 2018
• Karestan Documentary films as follows (Artistic consultant), 2013 -17  Film 1. Poets of Life
   Film 2. Puzzleys
   Film 3. Mother of the Earth
   Film 4. MAHAK: A World She Founded
   Film 5. Friends at Work
   Film 6. Flax to Fire
• Hey, Humans (Ay, Adamha), 2016
• A Lifetime in an Hour (Yek saat az yek omr), 2015
• All My Trees (Hameh derakhtan-e man), 2015
• The Other Side of Mirrors (An sooy-e ayeneh ha), 2014
• The Mirrors Recital (Concert-e ayeneh ha), 2014
• The Concert of the Lords of Secrets (concert-e khodavandan-e asrar), 2014
• Mahak My Home (Khaneh man Mahak), a teamwork, 2014
• Keep Children in School (Bacheh ha ra dar madreseh negahdarim), a teamwork, 2012
• The Room No. 202 (Otahgh-e 202) Part of “Kahrizak 4 Views”, 2012
• See you Tomorrow Elina (Farda mibinamet Elina), 2010
• We Are Half of Iran’s Population (Ma nimi az jameiat-e Iranim), 2009
• Angels of the House of Sun (Hayat khalvate khaneh khorshid), 2009
• Second Home (producer), Director: Mahvash Sheikholeslami, 2008
• 3D Carpet (Farsh-e 3 Bodi), Part of “Iranian Carpet”, 2007
• Our Times… (Ruzegar-e ma…), 2002
• Under the Skin of the City (Zir-e pust-e shahr), 1996
• The Last Visit with Iran Daftari (Akharin didar ba Iran Daftari), 1995
• To Whom Do You Show These Films? (In filmha ra beh ki neshun midin?), 1993
• Spring to Spring (Bahar ta bahar), 1993
• The 1992 Report (Gozaresh-e 71), 1993
• Centralization (Tamarkoz), 1986
• The War Economic Planning (Tadbirha-ye eqtesadi-e jang), 1981
• Occupation of Migrant Peasants in the City (Mohajerin-e roustai dar shahr),1980
• The Culture of Consumption (Farhang-e masrafi), 1979

Awards

• Diploma of Honor of Child Book Council’s, Tehran, Iran, March 2018
• Diploma of Honor of ‘Children’s Research Institute, Tehran, Iran, December 2018
• Special Cinema Section Award, 2nd  Davood Rashidi Commemorative Award, Tehran, Iran, August  2018
• Honorary Award, 7th Int’l Malatya FF (Turkey) 2017
• Honorary Golden Cyclo, 23th Vesoul Film Festival (France), 2017
• Ethics and Prayer Award for social and civilian activities (Iran), 2016
• Cinema Honorary Award, 4th Int’l Women FF (Afghanistan), 2016
• Cinema Honorary Award, 6th Int’l Crime & Punishment FF (Turkey), 2016
• Best Film, Tales, Prague Iranian FF (Chezk), 2016
• Audience Award, Tales, Gene Siskel Film Center (USA), 2015
• Best Film, Tales, London Iranian FF (UK), 2015
• Special Jury Prize, Tales, Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia), 2014
• Best Film, Tales, Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award, Kolkata Int’l FF (India), 2014
• Best Screenplay prize, Tales, Venice Int’l FF (Italy), 2014
• Special Jury Prize, Kahrizak 4 views, Dubai Int’l FF (UAE), 2012
• Prix Henri Langlois, Vincennes Int’l FF (France), 2010
• Special Jury Prize, We Are Half of Iran’s Population, (WIFTS) (USA), 2009
• Special Jury Prize & Best Actress, Mainline, Dhaka Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2009
• Best Screenplay & Best Actress, Mainline, Pyongyang Int’l FF (North Korea), 2008
• Grand Jury Prize, Mainline. Int’l Women’s Film Festival (Creteil, France), 2008
• Achievement in Directing, Mainline, Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia), 2007
• Best Director & Best Actress, Mainline, Iran Cinema House Awards (Iran), 2007
• Best Director & Best Actress, Mainline, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2007
• Best Film, Mainline, City Int’l FF (Iran), 2006
• Best Film, Mainline, Asiatica Film Mediale (Italy), 2006
• Special Jury Prize, Gilaneh, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Int’l FF (Spain), 2006
• Netpac Award, Gilaneh, Vesoul Asian Film Festival (France), 2006
• Golden Lotus Award, Iranian Women Film Directors (Iran), 2006
• Best Film & Best Actress, Gilaneh, Kara Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2005
• Artistic & Cultural Achievement Award, Kara Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2004
• Special Jury Award, Under the Skin of the City, Seattle Int’l FF (USA), 2002
• Netpac Award, Our Times…, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss), 2002
• Netpac Award, Under the Skin of the City, Karlovy Vary Int’l FF (Chezk), 2001
• Holden Award for Best Script, Audience Award, & Cinemavvenire Award for Best Feature Film, Under the Skin of the City, Turin Int’l FF (Italy), 2001
• Special Jury Prize, Under the Skin of the City, Moscow Int’l FF (Russia), 2000
• Special Jury Award, The May Lady, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1998
• Honorable Mention, FIPRESCI Award, The May Lady, Montreal Int’l FF (Canada), 1998
• Prince Claus Prize for Culture and Development (The Netherlands), 1998
• “Il Sindaco di Firenze” Peace and Freedom Award (Italy), 1998
• Best Asian Woman Director, The Blue Veiled, India Int’l FF (India), 1996
• FIPRESCI Award, The Blue Veiled, Tessaloniki Int’l FF (Greece), 1996
• Bronze Leopard, The Blue Veiled, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss) 1995
• Best Script & Best Supporting Actress, The Blue Veiled, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1994
• Best Director & Best Musical Score, Nargess, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1991
• Best Supporting Actor, Canary Yellow, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1988
• Best Film, Off the Limits, Comedy Int’l FF (Italy), 1987

PROFESSIONAL DISTINCTIONS

• Jury Member, Dhaka Int’l FF Bangladesh), 2020
• President of the jury, Herat Film Festival (Afghanistan), 2019
• Jury Member, Mumbai Int’l FF (India), 2018
• Jury Member, Venice Int’l FF (Italy), 2017
• Academy Oscars Member, Writers Branch, 2017
• President of the jury, Vesoul Film Festival (France), 2017
• President of the jury, Prague Iranian Film Festival (Czech), 2017
• President of the jury, Image Film Festival (Iran), 2016
• President of the jury, Cinema Verite Int’l FF (Iran), 2013
• President of the jury, Busan Int’l FF (South Korea), 2013
• Master Class, California Institute of the Arts (USA), 2013
• Jury Member, Shanghai Int’l FF (China), 2012
• Jury Member, Dubai Int’l FF (UAE), 2010
• Jury Member, Asiatic Film Mediale Festival (Italy), 2010
• Master Class, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (USA), 2010
• Jury Member, Fribourg Int’l FF (Switzerland), 2010
• Jury Member, Urban Int’l FF (Iran), 2009
• Producer, Heiran, feature-film (Iran), 2009
• Producer, Second House, documentary (Iran), 2008
• Honorary Doctorate, University of London (Iran), 2008
• Master Class, School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS (England), 2008
• Master Class, Geneva University of Art & Design (ESBA), 2008
• Jury Member, Cinema Verite Int’l FF (Iran), 2007
• Jury Member, Women’s Film Festival (Iran), 2006
• Jury Member, Asian Cinema, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2006
• Jury Member, Art University Student Festival (Iran), 2005
• Director, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2003
• Jury Member, Asia Pacific Film Festival (Iran), 2003
• Jury Member, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2002
• Jury Member, Moscow Int’l FF (Russia), 2002
• Jury Member, Cairo Int’l FF (Egypt), 2002
• Jury Member, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2001
• Jury Member, Montreal Int’l FF (Canada), 2001
• Jury Member, Youth Film Festival (Iran), 2001
• Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1999
• Jury Member, Leipzig Int’l FF (Germany), 1999
• Jury Member, Tokyo Environmental Int’l FF, (Japan), 1998
• Jury Member, New Delhi Int’l FF (India), 1998
• Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1997
• Jury Member, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss), 1996
• Jury Member, Turin Int’l FF (Italy), 1995
• Jury Member, Center for Iranian Film Directors (Iran), 1993
• Jury Member, Roshd Film Festival (Iran), 1992
• Jury Member, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1990

KÂRÂ FILM STUDIO

KARA Film Studio is a name under which a group of professional Iranian filmmakers express their common concerns regarding humanistic, social and cultural issues through documentary films, while maintaining their own diverse and distinct vision. In KARA Film Studio, filmmakers in small or large numbers, gather together and, starting with an outline of a documentary project, complete the work in a professional manner.

KARA Film Studio operates under a number of principles: personal financing or financing through private sector; working as teams and in a workshop from development of an idea through to its completion and distribution; giving young and talented documentary filmmakers an opportunity to work with professionals and assistance with their development, due respect for the audience by maintaining high standards in the production phase, endeavor to provide improved and increased means of screening films inside and outside Iran; …
Rakhshan Banietemad and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb are the constant participants in this group.

The post Iranian director Bani-Etemad among female historymakers of cinema appeared first on IRAN This Way.

The port of Bushehr is located in 28,58 N and 50, 50 E in the north end of a peninsula on the coast of the Persian Gulf. This peninsula is 14 Km long. The depth of water is near to 7m in the external anchorage leading to internal anchorage by the external channel 9200m in length and from the internal anchorage to Khor Soltani, Bushehr berth and then to Khor Booder by the internal channel 3900m in length. The channel is 140m in average width.
Climate in Bushehr Port

Climate in Bushehr Port
Bushehr port has got a semi-tropical climate with very hot and humid Summer and temperate Winter. The seasonal South Western winds blow on Bushehr sea from the beginning of June to the end of October but they rarely reach the harbor. The seasonal North Eastern winds blow on Bushehr sea and sometimes very strongly on the land from the end of December to the beginning of May.
The power of North Wind usually reaches to 6 in Beaufort scale, but it may rarely border on 8.
The average power of Wind in Winter is 4 in Beaufort scale
The temperature range during summer is +35 to +40 degrees centigrade, whereas it mat border on +2 degrees centigrade in Winter.
The humidity range during Winter is %40 to %80 and %30 to %99 in Summer.

TIDAL RANGE
The ebb and tide in Bushehr port is diurnal. The tidal range differs from 1 m to 1.6 m.
The highest tide may reach to 2 m and the lowest ebb may border on .7 m. The speed of water current in the internal channel and Khore Soltani may reach to 2-3 knots in ebb and flow conditions
The maximum height of the wave in the external anchorage is almost 1.5 m and .6 in the internal anchorage. Services

ROAD SERVICES

The port of Bushehr is connected to neighboring cities via 4 important routes:

• Bushehr – Khormooj – Kangan – Lengeh – Bandar Abbas extended 920 Km in length.
• Bushehr – Borazjan – Shiraz extended 290 Km in length.
• Bushehr – Borazjan – Yasooj – Isfahan.
• Bushehr – Genaveh – Deylam – Mahshahr – Abadan extended 690 Km in length.

It is worth mentioning that Bushehr – Borazjan route is a highway

AIRPORT

The port of Bushehr is one of the most accessible ports of the country to airport with only 5 Km distance. The international airport of Bushehr is provided with domestic flights to Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Mashad, Kish, Kharg and international flights to Dubi and Jaddeh.

SHIP BUILDING FACTORIES

These factories, located near the port, are capable of repairing vessels of any kind up to 2500 tons onshore and building offshore constructs. Iran -Sadra Company has up to now built some huge oil platforms belonged to Southern Pars Area.

The post Bushehr Port/ Video appeared first on IRAN This Way.

Nomads Tour in Iran

There are about one and a half million nomads in Iran, extending from the border of Turkmanistan to the warm waters of the Persian Gulf. Most of these tribes, the Kurds, the Lurs, the Bakhtiaris, the Guilaks (on the Caspian Coast) and the Baluchis are the original invaders who, in the first millennium BC, swept down from Central Asia and settled in various parts of the Iranian Plateau. Most of the tribes in central Iran are from pure Aryan stock, while other tribes such as the Arabs of Khuzestan and Khorassan, the Turkish tribes of Quchan, the Qashqai tribes, the Shahsevan and Afshar tribes of Azerbaijan and the Turkmens are remnants of races that have passed through Iran at various periods of history.

Traditionally, there has always existed a close link in Iran between the ruling dynasty and the domination of one particular tribe or ethnic group./ More

QASHQAI PEOPLE: MEETING THE AUTHENTIC IRANIAN NOMADS
Iran has with one of the biggest nomad populations of any country. And not only this, but these Iranian nomads are also classified into different sub-groups, according to their ethnicity, origin and even language. Around Shiraz, there’s one group of nomads called Qashqai. Originally, they came from Turkey but, even though Turkish is their first language, most of them speak fluent Persian as well. Like most Iranians, they are Shia Muslims.

Qashqai people, also known as Ghashghaei, are one of the Iranian nomadic tribes that keep on moving across the Zagros Mountains. In winter they live in the southern part but, as soon as the summer comes and the heat starts to become unbearable, they start moving north. Their flocks of sheep and goats are their main source of income. From these animals, they get meat, cheese, and milk. They also sell the newborns at the markets of Shiraz.

Qashqai people: meeting the authentic Iranian nomads

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Farhad Nazari, head of the Registration Department at Iran Cultural Heritage, Handcraft and Tourism Organization, said on Thursday that the pair has already been shortlisted as Iran’s intangible cultural heritages, and they will be documented under the 2003 Convention and during the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which will take place from December 4 to December 8 in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Polo was invented and first played in Iran (or ancient Persia) thousands of years ago. The original name of polo is “Chogan” and in Iran the game is still referred to as “Chogan”. The first recorded game reportedly took place in 600 BC in ancient Persia.

The objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small hard white ball into the opposing team’s goal using a long-handled wooden mallet.

The modern sport of polo is played on a grass field of 270 by 150 meters (300 by 160 yards). Each polo team consists of four riders and their polo ponies.

Arena polo has three players per team, and the game usually involves more maneuvering and shorter plays at lower speeds due to space limitations of arenas. Arena polo is played with a small air-filled ball, similar to a small football.

little bow

Iranian bowed string instrument of Kamancheh

Kamancheh, which means “little bow” in Persian, is used also in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Turkish, and Kurdish music. The strings are played with a variable-tension bow.

Well-known Iranian kamancheh players are Ali Asghar Bahari, Ardeshir Kamkar and Kayhan Kalhor.

The Turkish kemençe is a bowed string instrument with a very similar or identical name, but it differs significantly in structure and sound from the Persian kamancheh.

The post Polo registered as Iran’s intangible cultural heritages in UNESCO appeared first on IRAN This Way.

Iran This Way’s CEO Sadeq Hosseini, Ata Ehmirari technical director, Mohammad Ehmirari business advisor and Majid Nozohour project director(in Turkey) and Valstur CEO’su Baki Özarslan ,Bekir Büyük business advisor and  Cenap Parim technical director held meetings in Istanbul crown plaza hotel and signed contract.

Sadeq Hosseini, Iran This Way CEO after signing this contract said: “We have examined the problems of Iranian tourists in Turkey and in the regard we will provide online sales web site for Iranian tourists with competitive price and guaranteed quality. Also, for the convenience of tourists,  we will launch a Persian language call center in Turkey.“.

Iran this was add:” The contract is also included in the B2B program for the Iranian agencies who wants use this services.”

Valstur CEO’su Baki Özarslan said: “Valstur Has a significant capacity to provide tourist services. I think we can provide significant services to the Iranian tourists with the help of the Iran This Way.”

Özarslan said that the website is not limited to providing services in Istanbul and provides tourist services throughout Turkey with Iranian tourists. Also, based on this contract, we are trying to bring Turkish tourists to Iran to travel to Iran’s historical and cultural sites.

The post “Iran This Way” signed contract with Turkish “Valstur” appeared first on IRAN This Way.

During the Mustafa Prize ceremony held on December 3 in Tehran attended by senior Iranian officials, representatives of OIC countries along with over sixty prominent scholars and scientists from Islamic countries, the laureates were honored and praised for their pioneering achievements.

The 2017 Mustafa Prize was granted to the laureates Prof. Sami Erol Gelenbe in the field of “Information and communications technology (ICT)” for his pioneering research on “Modeling and Performance Evaluation of Computer Systems”, and Prof. M. Amin Shokrollahi in the field of “information theory” recognition of his outstanding work on “Communications: Raptor Codes.”

The ceremony coincided with the birth anniversary of Great Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Secretary of Mustafa Prize, Mahdi Safarinia, described the mission of MSTF to support and develop science and technology throughout the world. “Mustafa Prize tries to be the focus of the world to the capacity of the Islamic world and improve the areas of international cooperation regarding science and technology,” he said.

“Mustafa Prize is laying the foundation to restore the Islamic Golden Age and benefit and empower other states,” he added.

This is while more than 400 natural persons and legal entities have financed the Foundation in an effort to make the world’s biggest Islamic Fund in the development of science and technology.

According to Hassan Zohoor, the Head of the 2017 Mustafa Prize Scientific Committee, the nominees were picked among 700 Muslim scientists, 200 scientific institutes and organizations in the Islamic world.

He went on to add, “in the three specialized fields of the Mustafa Prize, the nominees should be Muslim and frequently travel to their home countries, but they do not have to be necessarily Muslim in the fourth general field which includes top scientific achievements in all areas of science and technology. However, there would be no other limitations regarding gender, religion and age.”

Moreover, 363 international institutes, 51 Islamic countries and 1622 scientists from 28 countries had attended the nomination process of 2017 Mustafa Prize, Zohoor said.

Romain Murenzi, Executive Director of the World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing countries (TWAS), later in his speech named the laureates “as the roles models for society who constantly portray strenuous efforts in carrying social responsibilities and representing appropriate symbols of precious world in society. They are the ones who also play important roles in broadening the scientific borders for public welfare.”

He further added, “the Mustafa Prize is a popular award and now a number of distinguished figures of Islamic and global communities have been invited to contribute to this great movement. The prize offers an opportunity to everyone to be a part of the world of scientific activities.”

Prof. Shokrollahi, the Iranian lauearte of this year’s round of Mustafa Prize, thanked his family for the support and motivation, adding “since January 2003, I hold a full professor position at the School of Informatics and Computer Science (I&C) and the Faculty of Basic Sciences (FSB) of EPFL, holding the chair of algorithms at I&C, and the chair of algorithmic mathematics at FSB.”

Shokrollahi elaborated on his scientific background, noting “I received German Diploma in Mathematics at the University of Karlsruhe in 1988; then, M.Sc in Mathematics at the University of Kulsruhe. The title of my M.Sc thesis was Codes from algebraic curves. I also studied computer science for PhD degree at the University of Bonn in 1991, and the title of my PhD thesis was ‘Contributions to Coding and Complexity Theory via Algebraic Function Fields.” Shokrollahi at the end declared that he cooperated in the field of habilitation in basic sciences.

Prof. Gelenbe, the Turkish winner of the 2017 Mustafa Prize, mentioned that many aspects of science like electromagnet waves and etc. have great influence on millions of computers, adding that he has done much research in the field of network security and computing science. These research and solutions are used in predicting computer behaviors and understanding how they act. Furthermore, they can be used by engineers and scientists in industrial jobs.

“I have designed a material that helps better understanding of details and computers,” said prof. Gelenbe. At the end of his talks, he appreciated the organizer of this ceremony and the sponsors who have supported this prize from the beginning till now.

At the end, Sorena Sattari, Chairman of Policymaking Council of the Mustafa Prize, granted the Mustafa Medal, a Diploma and $500,000 and an appreciation tablet of the Foundation to the laureates.

In the first round of Mustafa Prize held in 2015 in Tehran, Professor Omar Yaghi from Jordan and Professor Jackie Ying from Singapore were the recipients of the award in the nanoscience and nanotechnology, and in Bio-nanotechnology categories, respectively.

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Kish Airline CEO Mohammad Taqi Jadidi was quoted by the domestic media that the plan envisaged buying 10 planes from Boeing and 6 more from Airbus.

Jadidi told Iran’s IRNA news agency that the new Airbus planes would be added to his company’s fleet before the end of the current Iranian calendar year (21 March 2018).

He added that Boeing planes would be purchased in the next Iranian year.

Nevertheless, the official did not specify which specific models the purchases would involve.

Kish Airline belongs to Kish Free Zone Organization and currently has 14 planes, including 2 Airbus-320, 2 Airbus-321, seven MD planes and 3 Fokker-100 planes, IRNA added in its report.

Airbus has already sealed deals to sell a total of 173 new aircraft to Iranian airlines with a collective value of tens of billions of dollars.

On the same front, Boeing had accrued orders and options for 140 planes, while the smaller European turboprop-maker ATR attracted orders and options for 40 aircraft.

Iran Air – the country’s national flag-carrier airline – appears to be the most active buyer of new planes. The company would buy a total of 220 new planes from Airbus, Boeing and ATR, covering both wide and narrow-bodied jets as well as turboprops. Airbus and ATR made their first deliveries of several planes over the past few months but Boeing deliveries would start in 2018.

Among the country’s smaller carriers, Iran Aseman Airlines would buy 30 new Boeing 737 Max 8 jets, with options for 30 more.

Iran Airtour would also purchase 45 Airbus A320neo aircraft.

And Zagros Airlines would acquire 28 Airbus aircraft, including 20 of its A320neo model and eight of its larger A330neo.

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Qeshm, the largest, dolphin-shaped Persian Gulf island has a plethora of natural attractions, from pristine islands to forests, valleys to caves, and all the wildlife and cultural heritage in between. The Culture Trip explores the top ten things to do and see on Qeshm Island.

Naz Island

Naz Island is situated on the southern coast of Qeshm. At low tide, you can stroll on the soft sand full of colorful seashells and coral. During the ebb, this stretch of land is also the preferred spot for cars and trucks to race. Once high tide rolls in, however, it is hard to imagine that all of this was completely dry just a few hours earlier. The high and low tides of Naz Island were made famous by the popular Iranian TV series, Paytakht, in an episode in which a family, unaware of this phenomenon, parks their car out on the island during the low tide and gets stuck, their car and belongings slowly becoming flooded by the waters of the high tide.

Hara Forest

Located just behind Qeshm’s northern ‘fin,’ this forest is an 8,000-hectare biosphere reserve of mangroves, or hara as they are known locally. The mangroves, roots, and sludgy beds surface during the low tide, but this forest disappears during the high tide. The mangroves are rooted in the salt water of the Persian Gulf, but the filtration system of the bark extracts the salt, allowing sweet water to reach the leaves. This forest is mainly used for fishing, tourist boats, and a small amount of leaf-cutting for livestock feed. Sea turtles, crabs, shrimp, snakes, herons, cranes, and pelicans are among the animals that call this forest home.

Dolphins

Located south of Qeshm is Hengam Island, where the tourist boats stop to see the dolphins play in the early morning. There is also a variety of tropical fish and stingrays in the natural ‘aquarium’ of the Persian Gulf. Gazelles inhabit the island, and it is said that they obtain fresh water by pressing their hooves into the ground. Hengam Island itself is full of fascinating rock formations and glistening black sand sprinkled over beige sand.

Hengam Island, Qeshm, Iran

Valley of the Stars

Locals believe that a star once fell on this area thereby creating the rocky shapes that make it seem as if from another planet. In fact, it is the result of years of erosion by heavy precipitation. The valley is composed of marl and sandstone, and the rock formations vary from tall pillars, creating canyon-like paths, to hollowed-out spaces and smooth, round stones. With a little imagination, the eye can make out the shapes of faces, hands, animals, and even the map of Iran. A short hike to the top and you can see the layered mountain rock embedded with seashells. Local legend has it that the Valley of the Stars is full of ruh [spirits].

Bandar Laft

Bandar Laft is situated on Qeshm’s ‘fin’ next to Hara Forest. Even though Yazd is most often thought of as the city of badgir (windcatchers), an ancient Persian architectural structure used to create natural ventilation, a glance at the panoramic skyline of this historical port is proof of a rivalry. Few abanbar (ancient water reservoirs) also exist and are still used by locals today. This fishing town is also home to the Talla Wells, which store clean water and were created by cutting holes into layers of stone. Though in the past the number of wells was equal to the number of days in a leap year, it has dwindled to less than 100, each one with a unique name.

Lenj Shipyard

Close to Bandar Laft is a ship-building yard. Lenj, as they are known locally, are mainly used for fishing. Upon entering, you will notice lenj in different stages of building, from those in the beginning phases that are reminiscent of Noah’s Ark to those setting out into the water on their maiden voyage.

Namakdan Salt Cave

At 6,850 meters long, Namakdan, literally salt shaker, is the longest cave in the world. Situated in the southwestern part of the island, the cave is a result of sea water accumulating in the faults. The long corridors lead to the breathtaking dome decorated with white, salty chandeliers and stalactites.

Khorbas Cave

Overlooking the Persian Gulf, Khorbas Cave is part natural, part man-made. The caves are connected from the inside by a series of tunnels said to have been carved out by ancient Iranians. It is said that this cave may have been used as a look-out system to warn against impending attacks.

Chahkooh Pass

The striking natural beauty of Chahkooh, literally mountain of wells, has been named as such because of the wells at the beginning of the pass. The pass starts out wide but becomes more narrow, the walls nearly touching at some parts. Similar to the Valley of the Stars, Chahkooh is the result of erosion from rainwater on sedimentary stone.

Portuguese Fortress

This fortress was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century when they seized Qeshm in a strategic effort to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz. The fortress was used for over a century, and today, four watchtowers, a number of cannons, and two cisterns still exist.

Portuguese Fortress, Hormuz, Qeshm, Iran

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The final day of the competition yielded 14 gold medals for Iranians taking the overall tally to 39 golds.

On Sunday, the Iran men’s youth volleyball team registered an emphatic win by seeing off the Azerbaijani squad 3-0, with the set scores of 25-16, 29-27 and 25-18 in the title match played at the Crystal Hall 1in Baku.

The Iranian pair of Shahnam Nazarpour and Mojtaba Valipour also clinched a gold medal in the final heat of men’s 10m synchronized platform, having tallied 326.04 points.

They were followed by Artem Danilov and Dmitriy Sorokin from Azerbaijan, who earned 265.11 pts. The Iraqi divers Hussein al-Elayawi and Hussein al-Maliki landed in the third place with 215.64 pts.

Meanwhile, Iran’s zurkhaneh practitioner Ali Jalijoo received the gold medal in charkhe teez competitions. His Iraqi and Azerbaijani opponents finished second and third respectively.

In the meel bazi division of zurkhaneh, Pejman Sokoonati topped the podium. The Azerbaijani athlete picked up the silver medal, and Afghan competitor took the bronze.

Mohsen Golestanizadeh from Iran stole the show in the kabbadeh contests, and clinched the gold medal. Iraqi and Azerbaijani representatives claimed the silver and bronze medals respectively.

In the charkhi chamani, Ali Jalijoo finished in the first spot. Azerbaijani contestant and the athlete from Afghanistan claimed the second and third places.

Mostafa Mofid added another gold medal to Iran’s medal tally at the games with his impressive performances in meel sangin contests. Iraqi and Azerbaijani contesters claimed the silver and bronze medals respectively.

Iranian Mobin Zibalagha managed to win a silver medal in the sang competitions. Rufat Gulaliyev from Azerbaijan snatched the gold medal and Tajikistani athlete got the bronze.

Elsewhere in table tennis, Iranian team comprised Neda Shahsavari, Mahshid Ashtari, Maryam Samet and Saba Safari claimed a prestigious gold medal in women’s team contest overcoming the host team by a 3-1 score line in the final. Turkey grabbed the bronze.

Also in table tennis Iranian men’s team (Noushad and Nima Alamian, Afshin Norouzi and Amin Ahmadian) defeated Turkey in men’s team final game 3-1 to grab the gold medal. Azerbaijan finished third.

Iranian athletes took the center stage in wushu competitions as they clinched six gold medals. Moein Hajizadeh overcame his Turkish opponent in the men’s 52kg final to claim the gold medal.

Mahdi Mohammadi grabbed the men’s 56kg gold medal overcoming his Azerbaijani contender in the final contest. Iranian 60kg contester Erfan Ahangarian beat Tunisian Athlete in the final to take the gold medal.

Also in wushu games, Foroud Zafari grabbed the gold medal after beating host’s representative in men’s 65kg final. Saied Fazeli was also a gold medalist in wushu, overcoming his opponent from Azerbaijan in men’s 70kg final contest. Last gold medal of wushu competitions went to Iranian 75kg representative Yazdan Mirzaei as he beat the Egyptian contender in the battle for gold.

4th edition of Islamic Solidarity Games finished on Monday May 22 with the closing ceremony held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Iranian athletes finished the competitions with 39 golds, 26 silver and 33 bronze to take the third place in overall medals table of the games.

Host country Azerbaijan and Turkey finished first and second respectively.

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Nomads Tour in Iran

There are about one and a half million nomads in Iran, extending from the border of Turkistan to the warm waters of the Persian Gulf. Most of these tribes, the Kurds, the Lurs, the Bakhtiaris, the Guilaks (on the Caspian Coast) and the Baluchis are the original invaders who, in the first millennium BC, swept down from Central Asia and settled in various parts of the Iranian Plateau. Most of the tribes in central Iran are from pure Aryan stock, while other tribes such as the Arabs of Khuzestan and Khorassan, the Turkish tribes of Quchan, the Qashqai tribes, the Shahsevan and Afshar tribes of Azerbaijan and the Turkmens are remnants of races that have passed through Iran at various periods of history.

Traditionally, there has always existed a close link in Iran between the ruling dynasty and the domination of one particular tribe or ethnic group./ More

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