Zanjan Tourism Guide

Yahya Rahmati further said at a workshop organized by Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organization that the goals of the festivals are to introduce international healthy diets, traditional dishes of the participating countries, and Zanjan Province’s capacities for tourism, IRNA wrote.

The festival aims to showcase local foods made by individuals/groups from the ECO member states and Silk Road countries including Iran, Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Palestine, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, China, Republic of Korea, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

Zanjan Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Department and ECO initiated the ECO-Silk Food Festival in 2015. Given its successful experiences in 2015 and 2016, the festival is determined to continue this event on an annual basis in Zanjan.

Zanjan Province is located in the northeast of Iran. It neighbors are East Azerbaijan to the north, West Azerbaijan to the northwest, Ardabil and Gilan to the northeast, Qazvin to the east, Kurdestan to the southwest and Hamedan to the south.

Zanjan is known for its beautiful handcrafts such as knives, traditional sandals called ‘Charoogh’, and ‘Malileh’. Malileh is a handcraft made with silver wires. Handicrafts like decorative dishes and silver jewelry are characteristics of Zanjan.

Rakhtshui-khaneh, a traditional laundry house from the Qajar era, is now Zanjan's Museum of Anthropolgy.

In ancient times, Zanjan was known for its stainless and sharp knives.

Many villagers today are traditional carpet weavers. This is perhaps Zanjan's most popular handcraft.

Zanjan also has an incredible cave called ‘Katala Khor’, which is near Soltanieh.

Soltanieh is a very important historical site in Zanjan Province, which houses the mausoleum of Oljeitu Khodabandeh and was built in Soltanieh in 1304-13 CE.