Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization ( fa, وزارت میراث فرهنگی، گردشگری و صنایع دستی ایران, ''Vâzart-e Miras-e Ferhengi-ye, Gârdâshigâri-ye vâ Sânai'-ye Dâsti-ye Iran'') is an educational and research institution overseeing numerous associated museum complexes throughout

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

. It is administered and funded by the

Government of Iran The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran ( fa, نظام جمهوری اسلامی ایران, Neẓām-e jomhūrī-e eslāmi-e Irān, known simply as ''Neẓām'' ( fa, نظام, lit=the system) among its supporters) is the ruling state a ...

. It was first established in 1985 by legislation from the

Majlis ( ar, المجلس, pl. ') is an Arabic term meaning "sitting room", used to describe various types of special gatherings among common interest groups of administrative, social or religious nature in countries with linguistic or cultural conne ...

merging 11 research and cultural organizations. In 2019, Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO), has transferred into the Ministry. The current Minister is

Ezzatollah Zarghami Sayyid Ezzatollah Zarghami ( fa, سید عزت‌الله ضرغامی) is Iranian conservative politician and current minister of Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism. He is a former military officer. Zarghami was Deputy of Mi ...

, being appointed 25 August 2021 by President

Ebrahim Raisi Sayyid Ebrahim Raisolsadati ( fa, سید ابراهیم رئیس‌الساداتی; born 14 December 1960), commonly known as Ebrahim Raisi ( fa, ابراهیم رئیسی ), is an Iranian principlist politician, Muslim jurist, and the eight ...

that he chose by Iranian people directly vote in Iran 2021 Presidential election. It publishes and oversees the publication of many journals and books, and carries out projects in conjunction with foreign museums and academia. It is similar in scope and activity to the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

Locations

Select list of notable museums and palaces overseen by ICHTO, listed in alphabetical order. *

Abgineh Museum of Tehran The Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran ( fa, موزهٔ آبگینه و سفالینه ایران, ''Muze-ye Abgineh va Sofalineh-ye Irān'') or simply Abgineh Museum ( fa, موزهٔ آبگینه, ''Muze-ye Abgineh'') is located at 30 Tir Street ...

(Glassware and Ceramics Museum of Iran) *

Arg-é Bam The Arg-e Bam ( fa, ارگ بم), located in the city of Bam, Kerman Province of southeastern Iran, is the largest adobe building in the world. The entire building was a large fortress containing the citadel, but because the citadel dominates ...

Carpet Museum of Iran Located in Tehran, beside Laleh Park, and founded in 1976, the Carpet Museum of Iran exhibits a variety of Persian carpets from all over Iran, dating from the 16th century to the present. The museum's exhibition hall occupies and its library c ...

Golestan Palace The Golestan Palace ( fa, کاخ گلستان, ''Kākh-e Golestān''), also transliterated as the Gulistan Palace and sometimes translated as the Rose Garden Palace from Persian language, was built in the 16th century, renovated in the 18th cen ...

* Iranian National Museum of Medical Sciences History *

Malik National Museum of Iran Malek National Museum and Library ( fa, کتابخانه و موزه ملی ملک) is a museum and national library in Tehran, Iran. Malek National Library and Museum Institution (MNLMI) is the first private museum of Iran, and one of the 6 larg ...

Naghsh-i Jahan Square Naqsh-e Jahan Square ( fa, میدان نقش جهان ''Maidān-e Naghsh-e Jahān''; trans: "Image of the World Square"), also known as the Shah Square (میدان شاه) prior to 1979, is a square situated at the center of Isfahan, Iran. Constr ...

National Car Museum of Iran The National Car Museum of Iran ( ''Muze Melli Xodrodu Irân'') is a museum in Karaj, Iran, opened in . Displayed at the museum are classic cars owned by the last Shah of the Pahlavi Dynasty, Mohammad Reza Shah. In addition to the large museum ...

National Museum of Iran The National Museum of Iran ( fa, موزهٔ ملی ایران ) is located in Tehran, Iran. It is an institution formed of two complexes; the Museum of Ancient Iran and the Museum of Islamic Archaeology and Art of Iran, which were opened in 1937 ...

Niavaran Palace Complex The Niavaran Palace Complex ( fa, مجموعه کاخ نیاوران – ''Majmue ye Niāvarān'') is a historical palace complex situated in Shemiran (northern Tehran), Iran. It consists of several palace buildings and monuments dating back to ...

* Pars Museum of Shiraz *

Pearl Palace ) , native_name_lang = Persian , former_names = Kakh-e ُMorvarid ( fa, كاخ مروارید) , alternate_names = Kakh-e Shams, Shams Palace, Morvarid Palace , image = Pearl Palace -Kakh e Morvarid- Karaj Iran.jpg , image_alt = , caption = ...

(Morvarid Palace) *

Reza Abbasi Museum The Reza Abbasi Museum (Persian: موزه رضا عباسی ) is a museum in Tehran, Iran. It is located in Seyed Khandan.http://www.allmuseums.com/english/reza_abbasi_museum.html The museum is named after Reza Abbasi, one of the artists in the Sa ...

Sadabad Palace The Sa'dabad Complex ( fa, مجموعه سعدآباد – ''Majmue ye Sa’dābād'') is a 110 hectare complex built by the Qajar and Pahlavi monarchs, located in Shemiran, Greater Tehran, Iran. Today, the official residence of the President of ...

Some organizations administered by ICHTO

Iran Tourism and Touring OrganizationCultural Heritage News AgencyICHTO Public Relations OfficeResearch Center for Conservation of Cultural RelicsICHTO Documentation CenterNoruz Anthropology Research CenterTechnical Office for Preservation Projects of ICHTOResearch Center of the Traditional Arts

Select ICHTO archeological projects

Masooleh Historical TownHaft Teppe
*Ayapir *

Chogha Zanbil Chogha Zanbil ( fa, چغازنبيل; Elamite: Dur Untash) is an ancient Elamite complex in the Khuzestan province of Iran. It is one of the few existing ziggurats outside Mesopotamia. It lies approximately southeast of Susa and north of Ahv ...

Sultaniyeh Soltaniyeh ( fa, سلطانيه, also Romanized as Solţānīyeh, Solţāneyyeh, Sultaniye, and Sultānīyeh; also known as Sa‘īdīyeh; ) is the capital city of Soltaniyeh District of Soltaniyeh County, Zanjan Province, northwestern Iran. ...

Bisutun Bisutun () (died 977) was the ruler of the Ziyarids (967–977). He was the eldest son of Vushmgir. Biography During his father's lifetime, Bisutun was the governor of Tabaristan. Upon Vushmgir's death in 967 during a hunting expedition, he went t ...

* Takht-i-Suleiman / Adur Gushnasp * Arg Bam *

Persepolis , native_name_lang = , alternate_name = , image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg , image_size = , alt = , caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis. , map = , map_type ...

and

Pasargad Pasargadae (from Old Persian ''Pāθra-gadā'', "protective club" or "strong club"; Modern Persian: ''Pāsārgād'') was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC), who ordered its construction and the location of ...

ICHTO has branches in all

Provinces of Iran Iran is subdivided into thirty-one provinces ( fa, استان ''ostân''), each governed from a local centre, usually the largest local city, which is called the capital (Persian: , '' markaz'') of that province. The provincial authority is h ...

that administer and operate local projects, sites and museums.

References

External links

*(in Persian
Official website
*(in English
Official websiteVisit Iran
(Sightseeing information website by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization)

Province branches

East Azarbaijan ICHTOTehran ICHTOKhorasan ICHTOQazvin ICHTOQom ICHTOSemnan ICHTOKerman ICHTOIsfahan ICHTOLorestan ICHTOMarkazi ICHTOFars ICHTOKermanshah ICHTOBirjand ICHTOKurdestan ICHTOMazandaran ICHTOSistan and Baluchestan ICHTOBushehr ICHTOGilan ICHTOHamedan ICHTOYazd ICHTOZanjan MCTH
{{authority control Heritage organization Government ministries of Iran