Photos: Ajigol Wetland in Northern Iran
February 2 is World Wetlands Day -- The internationally-protected Ajigol Lagoon in Golestan province in northern Iran is home to migratory birds. The Ajigol Lagoon and the nearby Almagol and Alagol lagoons were designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1975. -Photos by Aboutaleb Nadri - 2/2/10
Photos: Turquoise Mine in Neyshabur, Iran
For at least 2,000 years, the region once known as Persia, has remained an important source of turquoise. This deposit, which is blue naturally, and turns green when heated due to dehydration, is restricted to a mine-riddled region in Neyshabur, the 2,012-metre (6,600 ft) mountain peak of Ali-Mersai, which is tens of kilometers from Mashhad, the capital of Razavi Khorasan province, Iran. -Photos by Amin Khosroshahi - 1/25/10
Ballet Afsaneh to perform "Celebration of Planet Earth" in Mountain View, California
Saturday, February 27, 2010 - Ballet Afsaneh presents an unprecedented alliance of international artists promoting peace and environmental consciousness with breathtaking music and dance performances. - 1/25/10
Photos: Sandstorm Inundating Village in South Iran
Sandstorm is inundating the village of Saharaki near the town of Jask in Hormozgan province. Saharaki is among 22 villages which is threatened by Sandstorms. -Photos by Abdolhossein Rezvani, MNA - 1/21/10
Photos: Migratory birds return to Zayandeh-Rud River in Isfahan
Migratory birds return to Zayandeh-Rud River which passes through the beautiful city of Isfahan, a city considered Iran's cultural center. Zayandeh Rud (life giver river) is the largest river on the central plateau of Iran, Isfahan Province. -Photos by Khosrow Khaleqi, MNA - 1/21/10
Photos: Tehran Metro Celebrates "Day of Clean Air" with Gift of Roses
In a symbolic gesture to mark "Day of Clean Air," Tehran Metro greeted the riders on Thursday by presenting them with stems of roses and sweets. -Photos by Youness Khani, MNA - 1/14/10
Photos: The Wonders of Nature - Varzaneh Desert
Varzaneh desert is located east of city of Isfahan and 30KMs far from Gavkhooni International Wetland. Varzaneh is one of the natures wonders to visit and enjoy the wonderful views of the sand dunes and the scenery. -Photos by Aulieh Sa'adatpour, MNA - 1/12/10
Photos: Najvan Forest Park in Isfahan, Iran
Najvan Forest Park is one of the natural and recreational attractions of Isfahan. Najvan, with an are of 1200 hectares, is the biggest park west of the city of Isfahan. Najvan is composed of "Naj" which means pine in Persian and "van" which means place in Persian. Thus Najvan means a place with lots of pine trees. -Photos by Alieh Se'adatpour, Mehr News Agency - 1/11/10
Photos: Fires In Iran's Maroon Field Brought Under Control; Oil Spill Impact Unknown
According to a report by Mehr News Agency, the fires at Iran's Maroon oil field located in southwestern province of Khuzestan have been brought under control. On January 2nd, Iran's Oil Ministry reported an accidental release of oil and gas at the Maroon field, one of the largest in Iran with 500,000 barrels a day output. It is said that 50,000 barrels of oil spilled into Jarrahi River as a result of the incident. - 1/10/10
Iran, Russia Hope to Revive Extinct Big Cats Asiatiac Cheetah and Caspian Tiger
Iranian and Russian ecologists have announced ambitious plans to return Caspian Tigers as well as Asiatic cheetahs, which disappeared some half a century ago in their countries, to the wild. -Press TV - 1/9/10
Photos: Snow in Tabriz, Northwestern Iran
These photos, captured by Majid Hamed Haghdoust, show the snow-covered city of Tabriz, located in the northwestern province of East Azerbaijan in Iran. The snow blanketed the city on Wednesday. - 1/8/10
High winds damage 2000 buildings in Iran's Gilan Province
On Sunday, the roofs of some buildings were ripped off by winds of 120 kilometers per hour. The province's weather forecast institute has predicted that the high winds will continue until Monday. Winds of 110 kilometers per hour hit East Azerbaijan Province earlier in the day. -MNA - 1/4/10
Iran's Capital Dipped in Polluted Air
Iranian authorities cautioned that the cold season has deteriorated the condition of air pollution in the capital Tehran, saying that the high level of poisonous gases has posed a great danger to the citizens' lives. -FNA - 12/21/09
Ahmadinejad in Denmark: Blames Capitalism For Climate Change
Ahmadinejad has described capitalism and materialism as root causes for the world's environment crisis. Addressing a UN sponsored climate change conference in Copenhagen, he said that the capitalism is based on interfering in nature and encouraging people to use natural resource more than they need. - 12/17/09
Photos: Catching, Selling Shrimp - Qeshm Island, Persian Gulf
Following photos show the fishermen of Persian Gulf island of Qeshm catching shrimp and selling their catch at the local market. Qeshm, an Iranian island, is situated in the Strait of Hormuz off the south coast of Iran and east of the Persian Gulf. The Island is located a few kilometers off the southern coast of Iran, opposite the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir. - 11/24/09
Photos: Kandovan, A Village Carved Inside Rocks
Kandovan is a tourist village located in Iran's East Azerbaijan province, between Tabriz and Osku. Its fame is due to its special cone-shaped houses which are carved inside rocks. Some of the houses are at least 700 years old and are still being inhabited. Kandovan also has scenic beauty. It's a popular resort with hotels and restaurants there to serve tourists. - 11/22/09
Photos: The Colorful Autumn, Chaharmahal o Bakhtiyari, Iran
In these photos, Hossein Baharloo has captured the beautiful scenery and colorful autumn of Iran's Chaharmahal o Bakhtiyari province. Chaharmahal o Bakhtiyari is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It lies in the southwestern part of the country. Its capital is Shahrekord. It has an area of 16,332 square kilometers and a population of 842,000 (2005 estimate). - 11/18/09
Photos: The Land of Love - Life of Nomads at Chaldoron
Following photos show the life of the nomads in Chaldoron, Northwestern Iran. Due to its mild climate and green grazing fields, every year Chaldoran is host to nomads and their animals. In 1514 the Ottoman forces of Selim the Grim devastatingly defeated Safavid Shah Ismail's formerly invincible Persian-Azari army at Chaldoran. Of 27,000 Iranian soldiers a phenomenal 26,000 died, cut down by Selim's newfangled secret weapon, the cannon. - 11/17/09
Photos: Earthquake injures 700 in southern Iran
Iran's state news agency says an earthquake has injured at least 700 people in the country's south. The 4.9-magnitude quake struck the southern port city of Bandar Abbas at 2:56 a.m. local time, cutting power and telephone lines and sending residents streaming into the streets. - 11/6/09
Project: One Day - A Collective Narrative of Tehran
Featuring the work of eight artists living in Tehran, Iran; Nima Alizadeh, Saba Alizadeh, Mohammad Ghazali, Ghazaleh Hedayat, Abbas Kowsari, Mehran Mohajer, Neda Razavipour, and Homayoun Sirizi – alongside new work by San Francisco-based artist Taraneh Hemami. - 11/1/09
Photos: The Beautiful Nature - Manjil Heights, Gilan
The photos by Sina Shiri presented here are from the beautiful nature in the heights of Manjil, a historical town in Iran's northern province of Gilan. Manjil is known as the windy city of Iran; a reputation caused by its geographical position in the Alborz mountains i.e., at a small cleft in Alborz that funnels the wind through Manjil to the Qazvin plateau. Throughout the history Manjil has been a gate to the Southern Caspian area. - 10/31/09
Iran Environment in Grave Danger
Iran's Department of the Environment has warned that Iran is among the 10 countries which cause the most environmental destruction in the world. "On realizing environmental destruction is a sign of severe challenges in our time, the department's attention falls on more longsighted planning and the root causes of the problem," the vice president in charge of the Department of the Environment said. - 10/28/09
Moderate quake jolts Tehran
An earthquake measuring 4 on the Richter scale shook Tehran on Saturday afternoon. "The epicenter of the quake was in southeast Tehran" in the Pakdasht region, Abas-Ali Tasnimi, director of Earthquake Research Center, told the Mehr News Agency. The tremor happened at 14: 23 p.m. local time. - 10/17/09
Photos: A Mount Tochal Wedding
Two members of koohsar mountain climbing group held a symbolic wedding ceremony on top of Mount Tochal north of the capital city Tehran. Mount Tochal is a mountain in the Alborz range and adjacent to metropolitan Tehran, Iran. The mountain has a 12 km long ridgeline. -Photos by Rooholla Vahdati ISNA - 10/17/09
Iran allocates $1.2b for heavy vehicles scrappage
12,813 heavy vehicles including 8,813 trucks, 1,500 buses and 2,500 minibuses will be replaced with new ones in the frame of a scarppage scheme by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 21, 2010). - 10/17/09
Photos: The Death Of Goddesses
Earth can be fertilized and that is why primitive people often symbolized earth or water as female phenomena. In ancient Persia , people had temples for water and worshiped the Goddess of Fertility, whom they named ANAHITA or NAHID. It was believed that She is the source of all waters upon the earth, fertility, purifying, and the seed of all males. -Ahmad Nadalian, RiverArt - 10/15/09
Photos: A walk in the mountains around Tehran
At about 7 in the morning, we set off from the sleepy village of Ahar, which is off the Lavasan to Fashun road, and walked along an easy and clear path northwards � the way was very green and peaceful, with hardly any other walkers. We went through a wooded valley, past cherry orchards and passing apple trees and pear trees, before getting to a steep slope which was heavier going. -Syma Sayyah and Paul Sanford, Tehran - 10/7/09
Natural Bags to Replace Plastic Bags at Tehran's Shahrvand Stores
Researchers at Polymer and Petrochemical Research Institute of Iran have produced natural polymers from starch and fat and according to an agreement with Shahrvand department stores, bags made of such material will be used in place of plastic bags at Shahrvand sores. - 10/6/09
Photos: Life in the Village of Anbouh in Gilan, Iran
Following photos by Narges Tankberis have captured the people and scenery of the beautiful village of Anbouh located near the city of Rudbar in Iran's northern province of Gilan. Rudbar or Roodbar is a city situated in the mountainous region of Gilan Province in Iran. - 10/5/09
The Tough Days of Zayandeh Rud
Zayandeh Rud (life giver river) is the largest river on the central plateau of Iran, Isfahan Province. The Zayandeh starts in the Zagros Mountains and flows 400 kilometres eastward before ending in the Gavkhouni swamp, a seasonal salt lake, southeast of Esfahan city. The Zayandeh Rud is spanned by many historical Safavid era bridges, and flows through many parks. Zayandeh Rud normally has significant flow all year long, unlike many of Iran's rivers which are seasonal. But this year the severe draught has caused the river to completely dry up. -Photos by Hossein Baharloo, ISNA, - 9/29/09
Land artists to adorn Lake Urmia in early October
Iranian land artists will be gathering at Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran to hold the 24th Environmental Art Festival in early October. The lake has been facing an environmental crisis for about seven years according to experts and necessary steps must be taken to save the lake, festival director Ahmad Nadalian said. - 9/27/09
A Picnic by Damavand
Our good friend Mehrdad and his brother Babak were our guides and our mutual friend Eli our host. We started late morning and drove east of Tehran towards Damavand. It is the highest mountain peak in Iran and it looks stunning, majestic and awesome on the rare occasions that we can see it from different parts of Tehran if the pollution allows. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 9/25/09
Iran's Regional Potential Is Undeniable
Since the collapse of Soviet Union, the legal regime of Caspian Sea and Iran's share of its resources have influenced our relations with other littoral states. Under grave threats, the unique ecology of this lake demands constructive cooperation of the bordering states. -Elaheh Koulayi - 9/11/09
Photos: Beautiful Shomal, Iran's Caspian sea area
Traveling to North Iran with Azen Haghighi, photographer - rice harvesting, lush roads, fishing... - 9/8/09
Legal Regime of the Artificial Islands in the Persian Gulf
Artificial islands are growing in the Persian Gulf. The small states of the Persian Gulf are trying to increase their hold in the maritime areas and open new territories to their business endeavors. The littoral states of the Persian Gulf have to know the legal regime of these Islands, and their obligations towards other states in an "enclosed or semi-enclosed" body of water, such as the Persian Gulf. These points can get new dimensions noting the existing trends for interpretation of international pollution as a form of aggression. -Bahman Aghai Diba - 9/7/09
Photos: Darvish Khan's Stone Garden
Darvish Khan's Stone Garden is located about 45 kilometers from the city of Sirjan in Iran's Kerman province. The garden was created almost 4 decades ago by the late Darvish Khan Esfandiarpoor, a deaf and dumb gardener, upon losing his treasured garden. Darvish Khan lived in the garden, with his only son and 7 grandchildren, till his death. - 9/2/09
Report and Photos: Kojoor (to Caspian Sea) Canyon in Mazandaran, Iran
Kojoor Plateau is a small plain that sits at an elevation of 1500 m among the peaks of the Alborz Mountains roughly 22 Km south of the Caspian Sea Coast. Although the mountains that surround the Kojoor plateau are forested, the plateau itself remains tree-less. -Nader Honarkhah - 9/1/09
Photos: Date Harvest Season in Minab - Iran
Minab is a city in Hormozgan province in the southeast of Iran not far from Bander Abbas. It is famous for fishing and for farming. - 8/31/09
Photos: Isfahan's green bikes and Tehran's horse drawn carriages
Isfahan's green bikes are free for 3 hour use, and require national card. - 8/28/09
Photos: Shirvan Valley, Sabalan
Shirvan Valley is one of 11 wildlife habitats located in Sabalan mountains area. It is located about 20 kilometers from city of Meshkinshahr. Shirvan is 2200 meters above sea level, and covers 75 kilometers square. This valley is deep and wide, and enjoys spectacular scenery. There are also two 40-meter-waterfalls in the valley. -Photos by Navid Jadidoleslam, ISNA - 8/25/09
Photos: Sewage flows directly into Karoun river in Ahvaz
A Scholar at the Islamic Azad University in Ahvaz said that unfortunately the pollution and stink in Karoun River have increased to a point that the migratory birds no longer come to the shores of the river. Dr. Zahra Mokhtarzadeh said: In the past, during fall and winter seasons, many birds would migrate to Karoun River. But in the recent years, with the increase in volume of pollution and loss of vegetation around the river, the migratory birds have also left Karoun. -Photos by Amin Nazari, ISNA - 8/18/09
In Afghanistan, Preparing for a Threat to Wheat Plants
The goal is to replace fields with seeds that can resist a highly destructive rust disease. The fungus spread from Africa and is now in Iran, and an expert calls it a threat to food security worldwide. - 8/18/09
Aviation disasters keep cropping up in Iran
A plane used for flight training crashed in northern Iran on Saturday, killing two people on board, On Monday, three people were killed and three others injured in a Bell 205 police helicopter crash in southern Iran -Xinhua - 8/15/09
Photo: Tehran land collapse
4.5 meter land collapse at intersection of Navvab highway and Kalhor street in Tehran. - 8/14/09
World Bank allocates $330m to improve Iranian city structure
Deputy Minister of Housing and Urban Development Mohammad-Hussein Ajdari stated on Monday in Tabriz that the World Bank has agreed to allocate $330 million in a 12 year plan to improve city structure in Iran. - 8/3/09
Bukhara Deer Reintroduced To Syr Darya River Valley
For almost half a century, the Bukhara deer -- a species endemic to Central Asia -- had not been seen in the wild in the forests along the Syr Darya river. But the species has now returned to Kazakhstan's southern Turkestan district with the recent release of ten deer into their traditional habitat. -Antoine Blua, RFE/RL - 8/2/09
Tehran's dust pollution remains at dangerous level
Dust pollution in Tehran will remain at a dangerous level throughout Monday, Tehran's air pollution emergency committee announced on Sunday. According to the emergency committee, pollution's average PM (particulate matter: tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas) reached 119 on Sunday. - 8/2/09
International Young artists Competition on the occasion of World Habitat Day
On the occasion of World Habitat Day and as a side event of the"International Conference on Architecture, Settlement and Urban Identity in the Persian Gulf Region",UN-Habitat in Iran in collaboration with Westminster university and Arte Sara Art & Architecture group will be holding "the Young artists Competition on Architecture, Settlement and Urban Identity in the Persian Gulf Region". The exhibition is planning to display the artistic ability of the young artists in the fields of painting & photography. - 7/31/09
Photos: Iran, Russia Hold Maritime Search and Rescue in Anzali Port
Iran-Russia joint maneuver for maritime search and rescue as well as dealing with Caspian Sea oil contamination was launched Tuesday in Iran's northern Anzali Port (Bandar Anzali). The Director General of Iran's Ports and Navigation Organization said serious measures for rescue and search in Caspian Sea as well as coping with contamination are underway in the waterway. - 7/30/09
Photos: Deserts of Iran by Nasrollah Kasraian
Many of you will be familiar with the works of the well known veteran and internationally acclaimed Iranian photographer Nasrollah Kasraian, who has had more than 20 of his books published. Kasraian has taken a most diverse range of photographs in terms of people, the region and repetition in different years to record more changes than any Iranian photographer during his working life of nearly half a century. -By Syma Sayyah, Tehran - 7/21/09
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