I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 10 HERITAGE & TOURISM NOVEMBER 19, 2019

Chinese arrivals on the Esfahak rural landscape rise in

TOURISM — The number of Chinese arrivals deskin Iran has increased as of late June since the nominated for TO DO Award country allowed visa-free entry for visitors from China, deputy TOURISM TEHRAN — Esfahak tourism minister has said. deskrural landscape and its cultural heritage has become a nominee for the TO DO Award, which is presented by the German Institute for Tourism and Development. The award is aimed at taking into ac- count the various interests and needs of the local population in the planning and implementation of tourism projects, meas- ures, products and services. Involvement and co-determination ensure broad-based participation – e.g. through information, surveys and discussions among the pop- ulation when finding ideas and making An undated photo shows a Chinese traveler (L) touring a bustling decisions, according to its website. traditional bazaar during her visit to Iran. Last week a German assessor from the “Monthly observations show that Chinese arrivals in Iran ex- Institute for Tourism and Development paid periencing a rise since Iran officially waived visa requirements for a visit to Esfahak, Ali Shariatimanesh, a Chinese nationals,” Vali Teymouri said on Saturday, ISNA reported. provincial tourism official, said on Sunday, “Some 14,000 Chinese nationals visited Iran during the [Ira- IRNA reported. nian] months of Mordad, Shahrivar and Mehr (July 23 – October “This village is one of the seven nominees 22), which shows 12 percent growth year on year.” shortlisted for the award,” the official noted. The ancient land welcomed some 13,000 Chinese people The original texture of Esfakak was com- during the same period last year, the official noted. pletely brought down to Earth in 1978 Tabas “Chinese travels to the Islamic Republic slumped after the U.S. earthquake, [which occurred on Septem- [in May 2018] pulled out from the nuclear deal (known as the ber 16 at 19:05:55 local time], the official Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) but the situation changed explained. after Iran [unilaterally] abolished visas for the Chinese,” the The shock, measured 7.4 on the mo- official explained. ment magnitude scale, affected a total of So far, some 100 Iranian agencies have announced their readi- 85 villages and was felt in Tehran, about ness to cooperate in this regard, Teymouri said, adding “Given the 610 kilometers away. A view of Esfahak, a rural landscape in Tabas county, , eastern Iran. volume of demand, we hope that a good link to be built between After that a new village was built next to the private and tourism sectors of the two countries.” the old one with participation of the people agriculture and animal breeding. It enjoys a houses were often built by the means of Performing local songs and playing Tar is Last November, the Trump administration reinstated sanc- who have now refurbished it be a tourist mild climate that is perfect for growth of any bricks and mud and are mostly one-story. inseparable in celebrations in the village. tions on Iran, mainly the ones that had been lifted under the destination with [abundant] eco-lodge unites. crops so while visiting it almost everywhere Traditional bathrooms, locally called Khaz- Dates and saffron from Esfahak village 2015 nuclear deal, in order to batter Iran’s economy, however, Esfahak is a village located about 38 km looks magnificently lush. inehs, are still standing tall in the corners are tasty make sure not to miss trying them. according to official data, they have so far failed to lessen foreign away from Tabas with hardworking and Village houses are often built on a floor of the village. Local music is particularly You can also test different types of local arrivals to the Islamic Republic because the country does its best diligent people who are mostly engaged with with domed roofs and small windows. Old important for the people of the village. soup and potage while in Esfahak. to attract more from neighboring states. Iran welcomed some four million foreign nationals during the first five months of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21 – August 22), which shows 30 percent hike, compared with Explore tastes of Italy in Tehran the same period last year, according to official data compiled TOURISM TEHRAN — The Ex- Italy a meal is a leisurely sequence of events by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts. desk Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country aims to traordinary Italian Taste served in courses on separate plates, each increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 Week opened during a special ceremony at appearing in the appropriate sequence. to 20 million in 2025. the Ketab Elahieh (a cultural complex and Americans often find it frustrating for a bookstore) in northern Tehran on Sunday, meal to be so lengthy, but, for Italians, opening an opportunity for enthusiasts and dinner is often the main event and the foodies to explore another tastes of Italy in focus of celebrations. Virgin Islands to introduce the Iranian capital. The cooking style is usually quite simple. Organized by the Italian embassy in Teh- There are no really elaborate sauces, and Airbnb Tax Legislation ran, the event is traditionally aimed on the what sauces do exist are used only in small one hand to help promote Italian cuisine amounts, just enough to moisten pasta or Virgin Island Governor Augustus J. U. Jaspert is proposing leg- across many countries and on the other to delicately anoint meat or fish. Italian chefs islation where property owners who already lease their homes aid the support of ideas of improving qual- claim, with some justification, that the secret for rent through Airbnb and pay a hotel accommodation tax will ity of products, advocating environmental to Italian cooking is sapori e saperi (flavors be subject to a further tax. sustainability, reducing food wastage, and and skills), which implies doing little to The Gov. says the new Airbnb Tax Legislation will soon be promoting a balanced diet. excellent fresh ingredients. introduced. He made the announcement on Thursday during Cooking masterclasses by Chef Giuseppe While there are many differences be- his annual ‘Speech from the Throne.’ Peluso (form Italian Federation of Pizza tween regions, and between households “On an immediate priority basis, our Government will give the Chefs – FIP) and a seminar on biological within a region, the concept of Italian food tourism sector the attention and level of priority it deserves and agriculture by Italian expert Dr. Alberto would not exist unless there were many focus on strengthening the accommodation sector, bringing new Bergamaschi are amongst various programs similarities as well. There is a tendency hotel investment, and supporting the marine sector,” he said. on the timeline of the event, which runs for food experts to stress the differences (Source: MSN) until November 22. instead of the similarities within the Italian Tradition in Italian cuisine A sample of Italian cuisine food tradition. But there is much that links Italian food is more than just pizza and it as a single cuisine. Some examples are ROUND THE GLOBE spaghetti. There’s a wide range of ingre- groups of people and places, historically Italian cuisine without the introduction of the structure of the meal, the pasta course, dients, flavors, and dishes to experiment and in modern times. The Americas, for tomatoes, maize (corn), and peppers—all and potatoes used as a vegetable rather Kunya-Urgench with in your own home. instance, had a huge influence on Italian plants native to the Americas. than as a staple source of carbohydrates. According to encyclopedia.com, Italian cuisine. Tomato sauce, polenta, and an- The world has adopted parts of Italy’s There is also the ubiquitous antipasto of Kunya-Urgench is located in the territory of Dashoguz velayat cooking has been influenced by diverse ything piccante (hot) would not exist in cuisine, but not the structure of its meals. In sausages and cheeses. of Turkmenistan. It is situated in the north-western Turk- menistan, on the left bank of the Amu-Daria River. Urgench was the capital of the Khorezm region, which was part of the Asian airlines slash flights to Hong Kong as unrest escalates Achaemenid Empire. SYDNEY (Reuters) — Several Asian airlines have On Monday, Routes Online showed Garuda has budget carrier has cut flights from Cebu through De- cut flights to Hong Kong for the coming weeks, an reduced weekly flights to Hong Kong to four from 21 cember and Clark through January. However, the airline industry scheduling publication showed, as anti-gov- through mid-December, SpiceJet has suspended its launched its Puerto Princesa-Hong Kong route on Sunday ernment protests in the city grow increasingly violent Mumbai-Hong Kong route through Jan. 15 and AirAsia as scheduled, she said. and disrupt daily life. has cut flights from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu A Jeju Air spokesman said the low-cost carrier has Routes Online said the latest schedules showed in December and January. reduced daily flights from Seoul to Hong Kong to one cancellations from PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, As of November, Garuda Indonesia adjusted its flight from two through Dec. 17. A spokesman for rival Jin Air India’s SpiceJet Ltd, Malaysia’s AirAsia Group Bhd, frequency from Jakarta to Hong Kong from 14 flights to said the budget airline had suspended Seoul-Hong Kong South Korea’s JejuAir Co Ltd and Jin Air Co Ltd and two flights per week, and from Denpasar to Hong Kong flights through Dec. 24. the Philippines’ PAL Holdings Inc and Cebu Air Inc. from seven to two flights, Ikhsan Rosan, a spokesman for Last week, Hong Kong’s biggest carrier, Cathay Pacific The cuts come as Hong Kong police on Monday fired the company said in a statement. Airways Ltd, said its business outlook was “challenging tear gas at protesters trying to escape a besieged uni- “The change is an effort to adjust with the market de- and uncertain” and that it has cut capacity and delayed versity, while others armed with petrol bombs awaited mand,” he said, adding that Garuda will monitor market four plane deliveries. an expected operation to oust them. needs, especially for Christmas and New Year. Major mainland Chinese carriers also reported dou- The unrest, raging for almost six months, and an esca- AirAsia said passenger numbers have been lower over ble-digit declines in demand on so-called regional routes lating Sino-U.S. trade war has pushed the Asian financial the past few months and it is adjusting capacity accordingly. in September and October amid protests in Hong Kong and The old town area contains series of monuments mainly hub into recession for the first time in a decade. SpiceJet did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. travel restrictions to Taiwan, monthly traffic reports showed. from the 11th to 16th centuries. This area has remained a On Sunday, Airport Authority Hong Kong reported A spokeswoman for PAL Holdings’ Philippine Airlines Routes Online on Monday said several Chinese carriers, vast deserted land with some remains of ancient fortified declines in October of 13% in passengers and 6.1% in the said the carrier was using smaller planes than usual for including Air China Ltd, China Eastern Airlines Corp Ltd and settlements, including a mosque, the gates of a caravanserai, number of inbound and outbound flights - the steepest Hong Kong as passengers were postponing travel due to China Southern Airlines Co Ltd had filed for fresh capacity fortresses, mausoleums and a 60-m high minaret. falls since the unrest began. It said a growing proportion safety concerns. It has also cut daily flights from Manila to reductions to Hong Kong since late October. On the sample of Kunya-Urgench monuments one can of travelers were using Hong Kong as a transit point rather four from five, she said. China Eastern declined to comment. Air China and China see all variety of methods and décor of Islamic architec- than a destination. A spokeswoman for Cebu Air’s Cebu Pacific said the Southern did not respond to requests for comment. ture of Central Asia. There are constructions from adobe and burned bricks, plain unicameral dome constructions up-going to ancient chartak and buildings with complicated Ancient Egyptians may have corralled millions of wild birds to sacrifice and turn into mummies compositions, sometimes with ? long history of development, New DNA evidence suggests that Egyp- But when a team of geneticists took a clos- powerhouses that generate energy for each chicken farms nowadays,” co-author Sally repair and reconstruction. tians captured wild birds for millions er look, they determined that Egyptians cell and contain their own special DNA. Wasef, a paleogeneticist at Griffith Univer- These monuments also demonstrate the evolution of methods of ritualistic sacrifices, rather than probably plucked wild ibises from their The authors compared this ancient genet- sity in Australia, told National Geographic. of treatment of inner surface of domes from cellular sails to farming the animals. natural habitats. ic material to that of 26 modern African Wasef and her colleagues suggested that stalactite those times called “muqarnas” and brought to the Ancient Egyptians captured and tempo- The research, published Nov. 13 in PLOS sacred ibises to see which set appeared priests likely corralled the wild birds in lo- highest perfection by local masters. The best monuments of rarily tamed wild birds by the millions in One, drew DNA samples from 40 mum- more genetically diverse, which could re- cal wetlands or temporary farms and then this city are distinguished by high degree of decorativeness. order to mummify the animals in ritualistic mified ibises excavated from six different veal clues about the ancient birds’ origin. tended to the animals for a short time just They provide prominent examples of classical arabesques in sacrifices, new research suggests. Egyptian catacombs. The mummies were If Egyptians had raised the ancient ibises before their sacrifice. monochrome terra-cotta and bright colorfulness of enamel. Egyptian catacombs contain troves of interred around 2,500 years ago (about on farms, inbreeding among the birds would But not all Egypt experts agree. The monuments testify to outstanding achievements in mummified birds, specifically African sa- 481 B.C.), the researchers reported in their have caused the animals’ DNA to look more “We are still talking millions of animals architecture and craftsmanship whose influence reached Iran cred ibises, stacked atop each other in tiny paper. That means the birds met their fate and more similar through time, the authors at different sites all over Egypt, so relying and Afghanistan, and later the architecture of the Mogul Empire jars and coffins. But how did the ancient when ibis sacrifice was common practice noted. But the DNA analysis instead revealed just on the hunting of wild ones does not of 16th-century India. The Islamic sacred objects concentrated people collect all those birds to begin with? in Egypt, between about 650 B.C. and 250 that the ancient and modern birds showed convince me,” Francisco Bosch-Puche, an in this city are exceptionally popular places for pilgrims and Given the sheer number of avian mummies, B.C. From 14 of the ancient birds, the re- similar genetic diversity. archaeologist at the University of Oxford, serve attractive objects for the international tourism. scholars have long theorized that Egyptians searchers obtained complete genomes “The genetic variations did not indicate told National Geographic. (Source: UNESCO) must have farmed ibises to meet demand. from the animals’ mitochondria, the tiny any pattern of long-term farming similar to (Source: Live Scienrce)