Iran Daily

August 11, 2004

Visa Regulations to Be Eased

V
Kish, Qeshm Will Become Exit Ports
seers. "The enemies of the Islamic Republic have tried to portray a distorted image of Iran through their biased propaganda. We need to neutralize such efforts by establishing travel agencies in the target countries and engage in an active marketing," he proposed. The official asserted that improving the standards of hotels is also an effective step in attracting foreign tourists. "Private entrepreneurs can play a significant role in upgrading accommodation facilities," he added. Commenting on incorrect information provided on the number of incoming tourists, Marashi said, "Some of these figures are misleading, because they even include the number of transit drivers arriving in the country. ICHTO is preparing a comprehensive plan so as to present accurate information about incoming tourists in annual reports." In related news, the free trade zones of Kish and Qeshm will be considered as ports of exit and foreign nationals wishing to extend their stay can plan a trip to these southern islands. According to an ISNA report, based on a
Efficient marketing and improved facilities are needed to draw more visitors.

Sightseeing

isa regulations will be facilitated for foreign nationals eager to visit Iran in an attempt to promote the domestic tourism industry, head of Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, Hossein Marashi, said. Marashi told Fars News Agency that obtaining visa has always been a barrier for foreign tourists. "For that reason, ICHTO plans to reconsider visa regulations in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he noted. Marashi pointed to appropriate publicity as another factor that can help draw more sight-

scheme that has not been enforced yet, foreign nationals whose legal visa for staying in the mainland has been expired can travel to Kish and Qeshm as exit ports and receive visas again. The decision has been made due to easy regulations in place in free zones concerning the entry of foreign visitors. The Foreign Ministry and the Islamic Republic of Iran Police have decided to offer more facilities so that foreigners would not need to travel abroad for visa extension. This will be a step toward promoting tourism and preventing the outflow of economic resources even for a short time.

Meymoon Qaleh

More Saudis Visit Iran Ramsar Cable Car ranian Embassy in Saudi "In a bid to meet the cants have received Iran's He noted that books, Arabia has issued tourist demand surge, the visas in previous years as brochures and CDs are Project Switched On I visas for over 22,000 Saudi embassy has increased the well, which is a sign of provided to Saudi visitors operations of Ramsar cable car citizens during the first number of its consulate their clear perception of to introduce Iran's tourism C onstruction project started in the Il Mili Sefid Tameshk four months of the current staff and extended the the conditions in Iran," he fascinations and sightseeregion of the Caspian city in a ceremony attended year (started March 20). working time to 10 hours a stated. ing places to them.
by a number of Mazadaran officials, IRNA wrote. Speaking at the event, governor of Ramsar said that about 200 billion rials worth of private investment will be made in the project. Seyyed Ahmad Miri referred to construction of a hotel, restaurant and water sports facilities as other parts of the project. He noted that 50 billion rials has been expended on preliminary works, expressing hope that it would be completed by next year. According to him, the cable car facility is aimed to promote local tourism industry and develop Ramsar. The green Caspian city hosts over one million domestic and foreign travelers annually, thanks to its splendid natural beauties and clean fresh air. Charge d'affair of the embassy, Ali-Reza Enayati, told IRNA that taking into account nontourist visas as well, the embassy has issued visas for 25,000 Saudis during the same period, double the corresponding figure of last year. Enayati added that Saudi citizens have greatly welcomed Iran's tourism fascinations and are interested in spending their summer holidays here. day," he explained. He said the embassy takes one day or even less to issue visas for Saudi applicants. "A large number of appliThe official cited the country's religious atmosphere, climatic diversity as well as natural draws as the main features appealing to Saudis. Also, the national carrier, Iran Air, has provided extra summer flights for passengers traveling between the two countries.

here is a two-story castle with vertical vestibules and lateral rooms named Meymoon Qaleh in the south of Qazvin. The middle dome is ruined, but the remains of eight towers are still in existence. Some have called the place Mehman Qaleh but others attribute the castle to Meymoon bin Oun Katib--the commander of Mousal Hadi Abbasi's army--in the 8th century AD. The castle is one of the monuments erected at the early Islamic era or even before. It is said that the castle is the remains of the ancient city of Madineh Moosa. The castle is a square construction with dimensions of 70m70m that is made up of 30cm30cm sun dried bricks along with lime mortar. The downstairs of the castle from east of the hill and through three tunnels culminates in the south of the hill. A north-south tunnel connects these tunnels to each other as well. The earthenware found in the castle approve that they have been in use up to Ale Booyeh times.

Kish Experiences Summer Boom

ir flights to Kish have registered an 18-percent growth during the first month of the island's seventh summer festival compared to the same period of last year. As reported by ILNA, more than 68,000 tourists arrived in the southern resort island during July 5-August 5, 10,000 more than the corresponding figure of last year. Also, more than 14,300 passengers set foot on the island by sea during the same one-month period. In a bid to satisfy the summer holidaymakers, the Kish Free Zone Organization, as in previous years, has established a special festival headquarters which in cooperation with other guilds, offers a variety of cultural, artistic and entertaining programs. Valuable prizes including a Peugeot 206 every night, a kilogram of gold every week, and millions of rials worth of prizes in cash and kind are presented

Travel Vouchers For Physicians

Jan Myrdal (Swedish poet, 1910-83):

Traveling is not just seeing the new; it is also leaving behind. Not just opening doors; also closing them behind you, never to return. But the place you have left forever is always there for you to see whenever you shut your eyes.

to passengers in lucky draws. The Seventh Kish Summer Festival will last through September 5.

edical Registration Organization will sign a contract with Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization to provide physicians with travel coupons, deputy head of the MRO in charge of welfare and social affairs said. Mohsen Khalili Meybodi told ISNA that the coupons will be repaid in six months, adding using the vouchers, the physicians will be provided with discounts of between 10 and 50 percent at 70 guesthouses affiliated to ICHTO. He continued, "Also a contract has been concluded with Pars chain hotels owned by the Social Security Investment Company in the cities of Tabriz, Mashhad, Ahvaz and Kerman so that physicians can use their services at discount rates of 20-40 percent." Khalili Meybodi also added one or two climbing programs have been scheduled for physicians in Tehran's surrounding mountains each month with the help of physicians who are members of the Mountaineering Federation.

Kitsch and Communism in Berlin

visit family separated by the Wall. ifteen years ago, on the night By Justin Bengry Local canals also separated the of November 9, 1989, East Germans were given access through the Berlin Soviet district of Treptow in the East from Wall. While the infamous Wall was subse- Kreuzberg in the West. From her West Berlin quently dismantled, and political unification apartment, some nights Karin would hear dogs remains solid, the social and cultural unification and East German gunfire from the border of people from two different states has been region just a few blocks away as defectors tried much more complex, and some say incomplete. to overcome these water borders. The eastern caf in which she related these Berlin, former capital of East Germany and now capital of the unified German state offers stories, appropriately painted a deep shade of unexpected opportunities to explore a nation red, was littered with reminders of the past. Ironically, many of these reminders have been and society still in transition. Somewhat lost and disoriented, I was unwit- exorcised of their political undertones through tingly approaching the city's eastern districts not only the capitalist and democratic transforsometime after midnight when I met Karin, a mations since 1989 but also the purifying bapyoung Berliner, who kindly became my host in tism of "kitschification." The GDR, or German Democratic Republic, Berlin. This after another German, kind but misguided, asked if I needed any help after he has become not just capitalist, but also collecsaw the Canadian flag on my bag. He was table, and even kitsch. It is amazing what relics happy to offer any assistance. He liked one can unearth from amid the bric-a-brac of Canadians, he told me. After all, he'd been to discarded uniform buttons, youth participation Ohio. I chuckled at his friendly mistake and medals, and old driver's licenses. Outdated tourist glasses advertising "Berlin, capital of the continued across the city. We began our explorations in the relative dis- GDR", in which grandmothers probably stored comfort of the Communist-era Trabant Karin their teeth at night, now sell for 8-10 euros in had recently purchased. Once everywhere, the flea markets around Ostbahnhof Station. these comic looking little cars are now scarce in Even a toaster made by LAVA, a GDR era Berlin, even drawing waves and honks as we manufacturer, which may not even work, sells passed through the city. Taking twists and turns for an astonishing 25 euros at another Berlin past neglected squares I would never remem- flea market at Boxhagener Platz. All this price ber, we finally found ourselves before an unas- inflation for collectibles from East Germany suming pre-war tenement block. Hidden in the has been fuelled not only by tourists, but also a basement was a darkened caf playing nostalgic domestic phenomenon known as Ostalgie, or games with the past. Inside, a monolithic gran- nostalgia for the East and its past. At these marite bust of Kurt Tucholsky, communist poet and kets, however, as soon as you hear, "Yes, but journalist, acted as a seat for those indulging that is from GDR times," you know that the their sense of irony. price is about to treble--at least. So, as the fifteenth anniversary of the fall of Sitting atop Kurt's head, Karin's eyes browsed the collected paraphernalia hearkening back to the Berlin Wall approaches this November 9, the days of communism. Though raised in West we see that the images and icons of this nearest Germany, she had moved to within blocks of of "Evil Empire" republics has been declawed Berlin's East-West border. In those days, only by the superpowers of kitsch. So, as Karin and pensioners were permitted to cross into the I drove away in her Trabi (that no longer uniWest at the nearby Oberbaum bridge in order to versal symbol of East German kitsch), she

An aerial view of Zayandeh River, Isfahan province

Uttar Pradesh Making New Policy

ttar Pradesh is framing a new tourism policy that will focus on developing world-class infrastructure to link places of historical and religious interest as part of efforts to generate employment, 123bharath.com reported. "We will soon frame a new tourism policy that will focus on developing tourist circuits of interest to various groups, be it Buddhists, Hindus or Sufism," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav said, opening the annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). "Uttar Pradesh will support efforts to make tourism a tool for employment generation and poverty eradication," he said. Marking the 350th anniversary of the monument of love Taj Mahal, the convention brings together tourism and trade delegates from India and neighboring countries to explore how the boom generated by the "Incredible India" campaign can be sustained. Enumerating plans to put Uttar Pradesh on the global tourism map, Yadav said,

"Within one year we hope to have fourlane world-class roads from the capital Lucknow to Fatehpur Sikri and Agra and also develop facilities like night bazaars to make Agra a model tourist city to prolong tourist stay." He criticized propaganda by some political forces that had described Taj Mahal as a symbol of foreign dominance. "We do not subscribe to this thinking as the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love and communal harmony," said Yadav. Yadav said his state would strive to work with neighboring states to develop a special tourism zone in central India. The attempt would be to connect places like Mathura, Vrindavan, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and Gwalior to ancient and culturally rich cities like Benaras and Allahbad. Detailing some plans in the offing, Uttar Pradesh Tourism Minister Kokab Hameed said it was proposed to link places that figured in India's first war of independence in 1857, including Meerut and Lucknow, formerly known as Oudh.

On either side of East Berlin's central boulevard sit the Berlin Cathedral and the former parliament of East Germany, the Palace of the Republic, a constant reminder of the city's communist past.

smoking an unfiltered Karo (an equally rare artefact of the former regime), how could we not consider the radical transformations throughout East Germany and Eastern Europe which have destabilized and recreated all these symbols of the past? Tucholsky's view has definitely changed. If you go: -An excellent place to rummage for communist-era memorabilia is at the flea market behind the Ostbahnhof train station. Also check out the Friedrichshain market at Boxhagener Platz. -Perhaps most famous of East Berlin's monumental constructions are Alexanderplatz with its centrepiece TV tower, and Karl-Marx-Allee, a monumental boulevard of socialist architecture which leads away from Alexanderplatz. -And the caf with Tucholsky's head? It's one of many eclectic neighbourhood stops in the eastern districts of Berlin filled with charm, nostalgia, and irony. Another great one to check out is Freischwimmer, a linked collection of old boathouses and docks on the canals in Treptow that once separated East and West Berlin.