March 13, 2021 Tourism promotion Tourism officials of and Slovakia explored avenues in a webinar to boost cooperation in the lucrative sector amid the coronavirus pandemic, 5 IRNA reported. Iranica

ranians are great lovers of confections and cut in bite-sized pieces. You can make ‘-e ardi’ sweets are inseparable parts of gatherings, by tossing the gaz pieces in cornflour to keep them Iceremonies and celebrations. As it is the land separated. of sweet lovers every city you travel, you can find local mouth-watering sweet stuff to pack in your Gaz, most famous sweet of One of oldest export items luggage and give them to your friends as appreci- ated souvenirs. Although modern machinery has eased the Gaz production is not restricted to Isfahan. Gaz, (a layered pastry dessert made process, following the authentic family recipes Boldaji, a small city in the southwestern part of of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and and cooking methods, made gaz keep its origi- Iran, is known as gaz’s capital for having the most sweetened with syrup or honey), (a tra- nal high quality throughout decades. Now if you significant number of traditional workshops. Gaz is ditional candy), kolompeh (date-filled are interested in making gaz, here it is the gen- exported to other cities and countries due to its high , originated in Kerman) and kak eral recipe. Beat the egg whites in a bowl to stiff popularity. During the Qajar Era, in the 18th cen- (a souvenir from Kermanshah with thin layers of peaks. Stir , glucose and water gently over tury, this candy was shipped and become popular wrapped crispy pastry) are some various sweets medium-high heat till the mixture bubble up. in Europe. with exciting stories and inimitable tastes all Add the syrup to the whipped egg whites slowly Any traveler to Iran must taste and enjoy the over Iran, tasteiran.net reported. over low heat. When the mixture began to thick- delicious Iranian sweets. You can find the best gaz en and looked like , add some in Isfahan confectionary shops and . The History of sweets in Iran and nuts. By adding spices like , gaz will soft and chewy texture of these little pieces of joy get rosy color. with nuts garnish and rosewater scent can evoke all During the Achaemenid Era, honey and dates Smooth out the thick white substance on a sur- sweet memories with the first bite! Gaz is a perfect were used to make cookies and host the royals face to about half-inch thickness. After it gets cool, match for a cup of well-brewed tea. and noblemen with Persian homemade sweets in ceremonies. and art show the Iranians’ intense love for sweets, but the modern in Iran dates back to the late 18th and the early 19th century. Gathering in cafés and tea houses to have a conversation over a cof- fee or tea and sweets was a common social phe- nomenon during the Pahlavi time. mapgard.com There are some stories about the invention of native to Khansar, a city in Isfahan Province. Isfahan, the birthplace of gaz gaz; some connects gaz to choobe, a tra- Angabin is a natural sweetener. This rare sub- ditional sweet made with white eggs, sugar and stance is made by a nymph of a small insect Isfahan and its gorgeous highlights like Vank poppy seeds. It was a popular energy source sucking the nectar of tamarisk bushes. Late Cathedral, Si-o-Se Pol or Imam (Naqsh-e Jahan) among farmers. Some relate the creation of this August until mid-October is the best time for Square, cannot be completed without tasting ‘gaz’ conventional candy to Mohammad Ali Shakk- collecting angabin by beating the bushes and or Persian nougat, the most famous sweet of Isfa- chian, a confectioner from Isfahan. harvesting the tiny dried drops of the insects’ han. Nougat (a family of confections made with exudate under the branches. This process is sugar or honey, roasted nuts, whipped egg whites) Gaz, an organic sweet hard and time-consuming; that is why ang- is a well-known delicacy across the Mediterranean abin is so valuable. Today sugar, glucose and and the Middle East. In Iran, nougat production The primary ingredient of this tasty sweet corn syrup are used as the common, less ex- dates back to Safavid time, over 450 years ago. is gaz-angabin, the sap of wild tamarisk plant, pensive substitutes for angabin. jabama.com

Eram Garden a historic Persian garden in

Eram Garden is a historic and monu- depict a deer being hunted by a panther. mental Persian garden in Shiraz, south- The lower story of the mansion has western province of Fars. With its an impluvium especially designed for beautiful flowers, tall cypress trees and relaxation during the hot days of sum- decorative plants as well as its amazing mer. The ceiling of this structure is edifice, it is known for its beauties and beautifully adorned with colorful . aesthetic attractions resembling heaven. A small stream also passes through it, The garden is located on the northern connecting to a large pool in front of shore of the Khoshk River. The original the building which then flows into the layout of the garden, with its quadripar- Garden. On the middle story and be- tite Persian paradise garden structure was hind the main veranda a magnificent most likely initiated by the Seljuks, and hall is located. On the two sides of the was then referred to as the ‘Bagh-e Shah’, hall there are two corridors each hav- Garden of the King, and was much less ing four rooms and connecting to the complicated or ornamental, historicali- side terraces. The front sides of the pil- ran.blogspot.com reported. lars are decorated with tiles showing Over the course of the years the prem- the images of horsemen and flowers. ises have been modified, restored or sty- The upper story consists of a large hall listically changed by various participants. whose windows open to the main ve- Since its construction and through- randa. It is also surrounded by two cor- out the eighteenth century, it was pre- ridors leading to two terraces. dominantly used by the local rulers and Today Eram Garden is within Shiraz Persian monarchs. The structure under- historicaliran.blogspot.com Botanical Garden (established 1983) of went renovation by the Zand Dynasty Shiraz University. It is open to the public and was also renovated during the time con structed and many cypress, pine, or- sits. The large veranda is flanked on ei- tions depicting poems by poets such as torical event. The middle pediment, be- as a historic landscape garden and house of the Qajar Dynasty. In the nineteenth ange and persimmon trees were planted. ther side by smaller terraces. Directly Sa’di and Hafez. Above the veranda ing larger than the other two side ones, museum. It is a World Heritage Site and century, Nasirolmolk bought the garden In the front of the building is a large beneath the main veranda are two-me- are three large and two small crescent- shows Nasereddin Shah on the back of protected by Iranian Ministry of Cul- and had its current three story building veranda with two high standing pillars ter high solid stone plates with inscrip- shape works, each illustrating a his- a white horse. The two small pediments tural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

Gilan Rural Heritage Museum showcases local architecture, traditional culture

kicked off in 2006, toiran.com reported. Gilan Rural Heritage Museum now showcases the region’s rural architecture and way of life as well as the traditional culture, tools, food and clothing of the province. So far seven villages have been moved to the museum and it now consists of 80 reassembled structures that average 150 years in age. About 35 of these structures have been registered on Iran’s National Heritage List. Each village consists of rice barns, talambar (structures where silkworms are cultivated), ani- mal barns, herb gardens, tea fields, and mulberry and bitter orange groves in addition to residential units. In order for visitors to truly experience rural life in Gilan, livestock is also kept at the museum. The museum has restaurants, traditional teahous- likealocalguide.com es, markets, handicrafts workshops, an area for per- forming traditional plays, playground for kids and Gilan Rural Heritage Museum, located in the The initial idea to create a Rural Heritage Mu- gardens for cultivating medicinal plants and indig- itto.org western part of Rasht-Tehran road, is the only seum goes back to 1991 when a 7.4 magnitude enous trees. costumes, food and architectural achievements and for future generations. open air museum of Iran. It was established with earthquake devastated Roudbar. After years of Museum guides are all dressed in traditional Gi- has stalls where visitors can buy souvenirs. Gilan Rural Heritage also has an anthropology the aim of preserving the traditional architecture studies, the project to move nine villages from lan costumes and tell visitors about the traditional Gilan Rural Heritage Museum holds period- and architecture research center which has pub- and agriculture of Gilan in a 45-thousand-hectare across the province in their entirety to Sarvan lifestyle in Gilan. The museum regularly hosts exhi- ic festivals in order to preserve the traditional lished the results of its studies in the form of aca- area in Sarvan Forest Park. Forest Park and reassembling them there finally bitions of handicrafts, photos, paintings, traditional rituals, music, games and plays of the region demic.