Iran is located in the heart of the Middle East and it bridges the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf. In 1997 uprising of the Iranian people, headed by Imam Khomeini (RA), led to overthrow of Pahlavi regime which ended 2500 years of royal rule over Iran and establishment of the Islamic Republic political system with %99.8 of the votes cast by Iranian people in a free referen-dum. On the 33th anniversary of its estab-lishment the Islamic Republic of Iran, after passing through many ups and downs, has been able to gain valuable achievements. Now in Iran, freedom seeking, indepen-dence seeking, and anti-colonialism drives as three principled policies are valued in the light of national understanding. On the other hand Iranian approach towards development and promotion of the rule of law, justice seeking, tolerance, active par-ticipation of civil institutions, is consid-ered as a dynamic and perpetual approach. Recent political and social developments inside Iran have been manifested in the Iranian foreign policy so clearly. Islamic Republic of Iran has always been attaching high importance to observance of good neighborly relations and expan-sion of relations at bilateral regional and international levels with its neighboring countries and others. History is a good witness to the Iranian behavior towards other nations. If you go through the history you will not find any trace of Iranian aggression against others’ territories. This occurs while Iran has repeatedly been invaded by its neigh-boring countries and others in the course of history. One of the main challenges we are facing in the today world is the heinous phenom-enon of terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran is considered as one of the main

victims of terrorism given the fact that since its establishment it has been getting targeted by numerous internal and external terrorist acts as the result of which many of its citizens and officials have lost their lives. Therefore the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been calling for elimina-tion of this type of crime in all its form by tacking its root causes irrespective of selective approaches.Among other inter-national problems now the world is fac-ing we can refer to illicit drugs, drug traf-ficking, different types of drug abuse and methods for combating this unpleasant phenomenon. Islamic Republic of Iran has incurred heavy financial costs and human losses in combating and eliminating drug gangs as well as drug distribution while given the high volume of illicit drugs and numerous methods used for doing this dreadful trade it has not received sufficient and required international assistance.On the Nuclear case, the Islamic Republic of Iran believes that use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is the indisputable right of all nations and this energy shall not be monopolized by those countries who wish to impose their hegemony over others in this field. In the same context, Tehran has always been intending to use this type of energy for peaceful purposes under supervision of the sole competent authority from scientific as well as legal point of view namely IAEA. Monopolis-tic policy of a few countries in this respect has faced Tehran with unjustifiable politi-cal pressures due to the means of threat, sanction, resorted to by these countries. Despite repeated emphasis of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Tehran intention for peaceful use of this type of energy and repeated confirmation of the IAEA on

non-diversion of the routine programs of Iranian nuclear activities, limited number of countries are to politicize this issue and divert the public opinion from its peace-ful nature with the purpose to continue their monopoly in this field. Accusations are leveled against Tehran for carrying out secret programs for manufacturing nuclear weapons by certain countries while practi-cal use of nuclear weapons by one of them which resulted in massacre of innocent people is indelibly embedded in the minds of people of the world as well as the his-tory. This occurs while based on the sublime teachings of Islam, the Islamic Republic of Iran is basically opposes massacre of peo-ple and use of weapons of mass destruc-tion and these types of weapons have no place in its military and defense doctrine. It is notified that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been calling for making the region and by extent the whole world free from weapons of mass destruction in all its forms.The plan proposed by H.E. Dr Ahmadi Nejad, President of the Islamic re-public of Iran, for creation of a global front for establishment of peace and justice which has presently has been turned into the common position of freedom seeking nations in the 21st century, is considered as one of the manifestations of Iranian ide-ology in the International political arena. In the light of these policies promotion of relations between Iran and Qatar has been quite clear in the recent years. In conclu-sion I pray to the Almighty for the success of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Government of Qatar in their efforts for further expansion of their rela-tions as well as prosperity and well being of the two nations of Iran and Qatar.

( 2012 - 1390 )

33 YEARS OF PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY

H. E. Abdullah Sohrabi Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran In Qatar

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Name of the country: Islamic Republic of Iran National Slogan: Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic Capital: Tehran Geographical condition: 35 41 N 51 25 E Capital: Tehran Language: Persian Religion: Islam Leader: Great Ayatollah Ali Khameini President: Dr. Mahmud Ahmadinejad National Day: 11 February Population: 75/292/000 Currency unit: Iranian Rial Internet Domain: ir International Tel code: 0098 Exports: oil, carpet, fruits, dry fruits (pistachios, raisins and dates), leather, caviar, petrochemical products, ap-parels and dresses, foodstuffs. Imports: machineries, industrial metals, medicines, chemical derivatives. Industries: oil, petrochemical, textile, cement and other materials for building construction, food derivatives

(especially refining sugar and extracting edible oil), Agriculture: wheat, rice, grains, fruits, oily seeds such as pistachios, almond, walnut, cotton. Transportation: 7286 kilometers of railways and 158000 kilometers of roads. Pipelines: oil derivatives 3900 kilometer, natural gas 4550 kilometer. Ports: Abadan, Ahwaz, Shahid Beheshti port, Abbas port, Anzali port, Bushehr port, Imam Khomeini port, Mahshahr port, Turkman port, Khoramshahr, Noshahr.

General Information of Iran

Georgraphical Location:Iran is a county in southwest Asian, country of moun-tains and deserts. Eastern Iran is dominated by a high plateau, with large salt flats and vast sand deserts. The plateau is surrounded by even higher mountains, includ-ing the Zagros to the west and the Elburz to the north. Its neighbors are Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia

on the north, Afghanistan and Pakistan on the east, and Turkey and Iraq on the west. Tehran is the capital, the country’s largest city and the political, cultural, com-mercial and industrial center of the nation. Iran holds an important position in international energy security and world economy as a result of its large reserves of petroleum and natural gas.

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ClimateIran’s climate ranges from arid or semiarid, to subtropical along the Caspian coast and the northern for-ests. On the northern edge of the country (the Caspian coastal plain) temperatures rarely fall below freez-ing and the area remains humid for the rest of the year. Summer tem-peratures rarely exceed 29 °C (84.2 °F). Annual precipitation is 680 mm (26.8 in) in the eastern part of the plain and more than 1,700 mm (66.9 in) in the western part. To the west, settlements in the Zagros basin ex-perience lower temperatures, severe winters with below zero average dai-ly temperatures and heavy snowfall. The eastern and central basins are arid, with less than 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain, and have occasional deserts.

Average summer temperatures exceed 38 °C (100.4 °F). The coastal plains of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman in southern Iran have mild winters, and very humid and hot summers. The an-nual precipitation ranges from 135 to 355 mm (5.3 to 14.0 in)

HistoryRecent archaeological studies indicate that as early as 10,000 BC, people lived on the southern shores of the Caspian, one of the few regions of the world which according to scien-tists escaped the Ice Age. They were probably the first men in the history of mankind to engage in agriculture and animal husbandry.

People Iran is a diverse country consisting of

people of many religions and ethnic backgrounds cemented by the Persian culture. The majority of the population speaks the Persian language, which is also the official language of the coun-try, as well as other Iranian languag-es or dialects. Turkic languages and dialects, most importantly Azeri lan-guage, are spoken in different areas in Iran. Additionally, Arabic is spoken in the southwestern parts of the country. Religion in Iran is dominated by the Twelver Shi’a branch of Islam, which is the official state religion. About 4% to 8% of Iranians belong to the Sunni branch of Islam, mainly Kurds and Iran’s Balochi Sunni. The remaining 2% are non-Muslim religious minori-ties, including Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians.

CultureIranian culture has long been a predominant culture of the Middle East and Central Asia, with Persian consid-ered the language of intellectuals during much of the 2nd millennium, and the language of religion and the populace before that. The Sassanid influence carried for-ward to the Islamic world. Much of what later became known as Islamic learning, such as philology, litera-ture, jurisprudence, philosophy, medicine, architecture and the sciences were based on some of the practices taken from the Sassanid Persians to the broader Mus-

lim world. The Iranian New Year (Nowruz) is an ancient tradition celebrated on 21 March to mark the beginning of spring in Iran. It is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Ta-jikistan, Kazakhstan and previously also in Georgia and Armenia. It is also celebrated by the Iraqi and Anatolian Kurds. Nowruz was registered on the list of Masterpiec-es of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity and described as the Persian New Year by the United Na-tions Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2009.

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HandicraftsRecent archaeological excavations have shed new light on the earli-est arts of the Iranian plateau. These newly discovered prehistoric sites date back to at least 5000 BC, and handsome decorated pottery, some of which is eggshell thin, has been found in great quantities at sites dated 3000 BC and later. Persian art and architecture reflects a 5,000-year-old cultural tradition shaped by the diverse cultures that have flourished on the vast Iranian plateau occupied by modern Iran and Afghanistan. The history of Persian art can be divided into two distinct eras whose demarcation is the mid-7th century AD, when invading Arab armies brought about the conversion of the Persian people to Islam.

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Traditional FoodCuisine of Iran is of a wide variety and the culinary of Iran reflects the tradition of the country and the region in a great way. Cuisine of Iran comprises of both cooked and raw foods. The cooked foods are mostly non-vegetarian and the raw foods comprises of fruits and nuts, herbs and vegetables. Cuisine of Iran speaks of the wide variety of appetizers and desserts that is more famous all over the world. Cuisine of Iran goes bland without the spices used in a special way in most of the dishes. Some of the major dishes that Cuisines

of Iran extensively and importantly consists of are the rice, bread. There are varieties of rice preparation, the preparation differs with region and course of the meal. Chelow, Damy, Pollo and Kateh are the most common rice preparation famous in Iran. The bread are referred to as Nan. Iranian Cuisines also stands famous because of the wide range of drink that they make from several fruits. The traditional drink that Iranian people have with the meal is known as Doogh. Sharbat and Khak sheer are the types of drink that is popular and famous in Iran.

Architecture Building first evolved out of the dynamics between needs (shelter, security, worship, etc.) and means (available building materials and attendant skills). As human cultures developed and knowledge be-gan to be formalized through oral traditions and practices, building became a craft, and “architecture” is the name given to the most highly formalized and respected versions of that craft. Architecture is integrate part of history, economy, social issue, culture and tradi-tion of each society.The architecture in Iran dates back to 5000 BCE to the present with characteristic examples distributed over a vast area from Syria to North India and the borders of China, from the Caucasus to Zanzibar. Persian buildings vary from peasant huts to tea houses, and garden pavilions to «some of the most majestic structures the world has ever seen. Most important properties of traditional Architecture of Iran in-clude: harmony with the nature and environment and take benefit from natural facilities of the location, harmony with the traditions of all provinces, Iranian architecture portray detail of life, beliefs, moral, ethic code and some other. The essence of traditional Archi-tecture of Iran consists of math and theosophy. As, in ancient Iranian books architecture is named as “alhaseb” and “almohandess”.The traditional architecture of the Iranian lands throughout the ages can be categorized into the six following classes or styles: Pre-Islamic:The Parsian style (Achaemenid, Median, Elamite eras), The Parthian style (Parthian, Sassanid eras).Islamic: The Khorasani style, The Razi style, The Azari style, The Isfahani styleAvailable building materials dictate major forms in traditional Ira-nian architecture. Heavy clays, readily available at various places throughout the plateau, have encouraged the development of the most primitive of all building techniques, molded mud, compressed as solidly as possible, and allowed to dry. This technique used in Iran from ancient times has never been completely abandoned. The abundance of heavy plastic earth, in conjunction with a tena-cious lime mortar, also facilitated the development of the brick. Iranian architecture take advantage of abundant symbolic geometry, using pure forms such as the circle and square, and plans are based on often symmetrical layouts featuring rectangular courtyards and halls. All traditional Persian houses have following sections: Hashti and Dalan-e-vorudi. Entering the doorway one steps into a small en-closed transitional space called Hashti. Here one is forced to re-direct one’s steps away from the street and into the hallway, called Dalan e Vorudi. In mosques, the Hashti enables the ar-chitect to turn the steps of the believer to the correct orientation for prayer hence giving the opportunity to purify oneself before entering the mosque. A central pool with surrounding gardens Important partitionings such as the biruni (exterior) and the andaruni (interior)Persian houses in central Iran were designed to make use of an ingenious system of wind tower that create unusually cool temperatures in the lower levels of the building. Thick mas-sive walls were designed to keep the suns heat out in the sum-mertime while retaining the internal heat in the winters. Famous Architectural Sites in Iran are; Meidan-e-Emam, Takht-e-Soleyman, Bisotun, Persepolis, Pasargadae, Bam, Ifahsan, Soltani-yeh, Tchogha Zabnil. Iran also enjoys some number of world known villages that has unique architectural feature like Abyaneh in the central part of Iran and Masouleh in the northern part of the country in both of villages it is the nature who is architecture.

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Persian GardensThe tradition and style in the garden design of Persian gardens has influenced the design of gardens from Andalusia to India and beyond. The gardens of the Al-

hambra show the influence of Persian Paradise garden philosophy and style in a Moorish Palace scale from the era of Al-Andalus in Spain. The Taj Mahal is one of the largest Persian Garden interpretations in the world, from the era of the Mughal Empire in India.

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Iran is one of the few countries that have all four distinguished seasons. And at any time of the year, in each section of the country, one of the four seasons is visible. Iran’s variety in terms of temperature, humidity and rainfall differs from place to place and season to season. Length of the seasons differs in different regions.

- Natural Regions One of the world’s most mountainous countries, Iran contains two major ranges of mountains, the Alborz with the highest peak in Asia west of the Himalayas, Damavand (5671 m

above sea level) and the Zagros that cuts across the country for

more than 1,600 km extending from

north west to the

south

east of the country. The peaks exceed-ing 2,300 m in these two ranges capture a considerable amount of moisture coming either from the Cas-pian Sea southward or the Mediter-ranean eastward.

- Deserts of Iran Iran is situated in a high-altitude pla-teau surrounded by connected ranges of mountains. The well-known des-erts of Iran are at two major regions: 1) Dasht-e-Kavir, and 2) Kavir-e-Lut. They are both some of the most arid and maybe hottest areas of their kinds in the world.

-The Desert Pits of Iran Kavir-e-Lut is the largest pit inside the Iranian plateau and probably one of the largest ones in the world. Kavir-e-Lut is a pit formed by broken layers of the earth.

- Mountains of Iran The whole area of Iran can be

divided in to four parts: 1/2 mountains as one part,

and 1/4 deserts and 1/4 fertile

plains as the other

part.

There are two major ranges of mountains called the Alborz and the Zagros. - The Alborz have been extended all the way from Azerbaijan to Afghani-stan passing through the southern part of the Caspian Sea. - The Zagros have covered a region from Azerbaijan to the west and SE of the country. The highest peak of Iran (Middle East) called “Damavand”, 5671m ASL. It is a burned-out volcano with a crater of 400m width. At times, sul-fur gas ascends to the top and covers the peak like clouds.

- Rivers of Iran There is a vastly extended network of riv-ers in Iran most of which seasonally are filled with water. Some permanent rivers run from the Alborz or the Zagros to the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf and Oman Sea. Some temporary rivers either run into a body of water or get dried before reaching any watershed.

- Sea, Gulf & Lakes of Iran Persian Gulf is situated at the south of Iran. It is almost 900km long from the Strait of Hormoz to Arvand Rud, the border river between Iran and Iraq. The Persian Gulf is one of the warmest bodies of water in the entire

Middle East.

Iran’s Attractions

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A Paradise, Gilan North of Iran Gilan Province is one of the 31 prov-inces of Iran. It lies along the Caspian Sea, just west of the province of Ma-zandaran, east of the province of Ard-abil, north of the provinces of Zanjan and Qazvin. The northern part of the province is part of territory of South (Iranian) Talesh. At the center of the province is the main city of Rasht. Other towns in the province include Astara, Astaneh-e Ashrafiyyeh, Fu-man, Lahijan, Langrud, Masooleh, Manjil, Rudbar, Roudsar, Shaft, Talesh, and Soumahe Sara.The main harbor port of the province is Bandar-e Anzali.The province has an annual average of 2 million tourists, mostly domestic. Although Iran’s Cultural Heritage Or-ganization lists 211 sites of historical and cultural significance in the prov-ince, the main tourist attraction in Gi-lan is the small town of Masooleh in the hills south-east of Rasht. The town is built in a fashion not dissimilar to the Pueblo settlements, with the roof of one house being the courtyard of the next house above.VillagesThe most beautiful vicinities of Iran are found in northern Iran, and espe-cially in Gilan Province. Coverage of green forests, diverse sources of water, local architecture, and cul-tural specifications are eye-catching; forming a basis for the development of tourism. Some of these rural at-tractions, known both internally and

internationally are:Harzavil Village, Roodbar- ManjilThe history of this village dates back to over a thousand years, and is situ-ated near the city of Manjil. Nasser Khosrow, the famous Iranian poet had traveled to this village and had mentioned this vicinity in his travel accounts. There is an ancient cypress tree in the village that attracts crowds of people every year. The tomb of AqaSeyedMahmoodMarandi and ImamzadehEbrahim are other attrac-tions of this area.Kiashahr Village, Rasht This village has made impressive progress during the years and has turned into a city. Kiashahr is located on the banks of a beautiful wetland, and enjoys a wonderful landscape and pleasant weather. Here there are wooden docks and some cottages for temporary use and fishing. Rest houses and restaurants have been constructed in the forest park close to the sea, so as to provide services to visitors. This village is one of the beautiful attrac-tions of Gilan.Masooleh Village, FoomanThis village is situated in the south west of Fooman, 63 km. from Rasht. It enjoys a moderate climate. Local architecture, springs, waterfalls, the ‘Rood Khan’ River and dense forests all make it an attractive tourism spot. Masooleh’s integrated architecture and its houses are of two storied. These comprise of an entrance corridor, cel-lars and other unique architectural fea-

tures, and are linked to each other by a staircase, such that the terrace of each house is the court-yard of the house above. The presence of the ancient Own Ebne Ali and Own Ebne Mo-hammad in Masooleh are pilgrimage sites and hold cultural importance.Museums MianPoshteh Palace Museum (Navy Exhibition), AnzaliThe historical structure of MianPoshteh is located in one of the most beautiful locality of Bandar Anzali. In the year 1924, this palace was reclaimed by Reza Shah from its owner who was a Russian merchant. In 1977, this museum was inaugurated as the Navy museum. In this double storied structure, paintings and intricate plaster adornments can be noted. There is also a portrait attributed to Nasseredin Shah Qajar.Rasht Museum, RashtThe Rasht Museum extends over an area of 560 sq. m. and is a double storied structure. These premises be-longed to MirzaHossein Khan Kas-maie, (an ally of MirzaKuchak Khan Jangali). The same was purchased by the Cultural and Arts Organization in 1970. After the required renovations, the structure was converted into a mu-seum. The said museum is under con-trol of the Cultural Heritage Organiza-tion at present, and was inaugurated in the year 1989. The museum com-prises of three sections named as, the archaeological, anthropological and a sector displaying documents. Objects discovered in the excavations of hill-

A ParadiseGilan North of Iran

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ocks such as Marlik, Tukam, Dayla-man, Cheraq Ali and the Tegran cave are on exhibit here.Gilan’s Rural Heritage MuseumAbout 15 Kilometers far away from Rasht, there is a green and calm high-way, with its two sides surrounded via rush and pine trees.Stepping or driving a little forward, you’ll reach an open and wide area decorated with wooden tableaus and billboards including the text “Musee-patrimoine rural de Guilan” next to “UNESCO” and “Aix Du Province University” logos.That French title remembers the glori-ous opening ceremony of “Guilan mu-seum of rural heritage” in March 2007 where Prof. Christian Bromberger gave an interesting lecture about the history of Gilak tribe in front of hun-dreds of people, those in love with Persian culture.Guilan museum of rural heritage is a fantastic and unique Eco-Museum that has been constructed in order to show the hidden corners of Guilan people’s culture and lifestyle to the tourists from all around the world.After paying a very skimpy amount of fee to the attendant at the entrance gate, you will find your way into a natural corridor with tall maple trees on the two sides and their foliage acting as roofs, preventing the sun and rain from damaging the tradi-

tional cobblestone floor of this nar-row rural route.The artificial wooden fence on the two sides of this corridor extends all around the museum that is designed exactly such as a small village and includes all parts of a real hamlet such as teahouse, playground, mu-nicipality, stable and lake.Mainly, this museum is dedicated to anthropology and is considered a good and reliable source for sociological studies especially to researchers who want to gather more valuable informa-tion on Gilak’s life.The Eco-museum shows the cultural and ethnic diversity of 27 Gilak sub-groups in 27 cottages, in each of them there are girls wearing traditional cos-tumes, some of them cooking cuisines, foods and some others making handi-crafts. It is necessary to know that the total surface area of museum is about 260 hectares.Old and Historical Houses Darya Beigi House, LangeroodOne of the ancient houses of Langerood is the Darya Beigi house, one of the reputed families of Gilan. It is a double storied structure, and the rooms on the upper floor have lat-ticed sash windows. This house has two large wooden doors with spikes and knockers. Flanking the doors are mantles with ancient mirrors. Each floor has three chambers, each accom-

panied by a beautiful balcony. The hall is adorned with paintings and valuable plaster work of the Qajar period. The interior adornments of this house are the important historical and artistic works of Gilan.MonajemBashi House, LangeroodThe said is located in the Feshka-lay locality, near the SabzehMaidan square in Langerood. This house be-longs to the MonajemBashi house-hold, and is composed of the inte-rior and exterior segments, private quarter, a mosque, bath and stables. Between the entrance and hall is a vestibule, which is connected to the upper floor by stairs. The upper floor comprises of a hall and three cham-bers. The adornments of the former depict the architectural effects of Gi-lan in the Qajar era. Four exquisite sets of doors displaying shrubs and floral designs, adjoin the chambers to the hall. This structure is regis-tered as a national monument by the Cultural Heritage Organization.Other Old HousesOther ancient houses of the province which are mostly relevant to the Qajar period are: The houses of Haj Mirza Ahmad Abrishami (Rasht), Ayatollah AqaRoodbari (Rasht), DewanBeigi (Rasht), Mohammad Sadeqi (Lahijan), Dawoodzadeh (Rasht), Haj Seyed-HashemBahrani (Rasht) and Sardar-MowtamedRashti.

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The glorious architecture of Iran, like a piece of gem, has been con-stantly glittering among other ar-chitectural monuments of the world and has occupied a worthy place in the world of art. It was in the reign of the Safavids, that the city of Is-fahan reached such a renown and elegance which was called “half of the world”.Among what has remained from the age of the Safavids, there still exists a school, bazaar and cara-vansaray complex which sparkles like a piece of jewelry at the side of ChaharBaghstreet.This complex was built at the time of king Sultan Hossein of Safavids about 300 years ago. King Soltan-Hossein attributed this magnificent complex of building to his mother. That is why; it is called “the school and caravansaray of Madar-shah” (which means king’s mother).Along with economical prosper-ity in the Safavids age, the con-struction of utilitarian monuments such as bazaar, bridges, dams, pigeon towers, water supplies, inns, mosques and schools was the vogue of time. The caravan-saries did not just provide lodging for the passengers and passers-by

or were not centers of loading or landing of the caravans. The urban caravansaries were appropriate places for storing goods and com-mercial exchanges.In reconstruction of the caravansa-ries, the main attempt has been to preserve the general shape. Madar-Shah caravansaray likewise owns a square courtyard in the middle, each side of which amounts to eighty meters. In reconstruction of this caravansaray, this dusty courtyard has changed into a gar-den imbued with plants and color-ful flowers. A stream flows through this courtyard, which is called Far-shadi stream. At each side of this courtyard is located a verandah at the two sides of which are aligned two-storey chambers.Simplicity and strength of this build-ing with its open pleasant area is reminiscent of the glory and grace of Naghsh-e-Jahan square which is the precious treasure left from the Persia of the Safavids periods.At this time, according to the sug-gestion of Andre Goddard who was then the counselor of Archeology Bureau, Iran Insurance Company came to save the monument. The

company consented to the altera-tion of the caravansary to a hotel and approved of the plan of the ho-tel building which was later called King Abbas hotel (1336 A.H).In this way, not only was a valuable historical monument saved but also the memory of its first use as the lodging of the passengers and tourists was preserved in the new form it assumed. Besides, a scenic and elegant space was provided for the tourists in such a celebrated city as Isfahan. Now, the gurgling of water and the color of Persian gardens, images from the grandeur of Islamic archi-tecture, the eloquent artistic de-signs carved on the forehead of the lofty walls and verandas, the land-scape of the picturesque turquoise dome of ChaharbaghMadresseh are images which are printed on the minds of the guests as such that these images can hardly ever be consigned to oblivion.The company finally started the construction of the hotel in the summer of 1337 and finished it at the end of 1345. In reconstructing the caravansary, they were com-mitted to two objectives: The pres-ervation of the originality of the

ABBASI HOTEL The Glorious Arc hitecture of Iran

12

outward facade and the renovation of the caravansary’s chambers and remodeling them into the hotel rooms.In 1351, Iran Insurance Company decided to expand the hotel. The expansion was possible only at the eastern side. Thus, by purchasing 11500 square meters of land at this side, the annex or adjacent section of the hotel was built which can be considered an independent and well-furnished hotel by itself. By passing more than 30 years from hotel servicing, most sec-tions of the hotel had been ruined and needed reconstructions. After inspections of engineers, the re-construction of the hotel in many phases started at first months of 1374 and ended at first months of 1379. The above actions include the reconstruction of rooms, halls, kitchens, and engine houses, elec-trical and mechanical installations of hotel.The interior decoration of Abbasi hotel is endowed with such a high quality and quantity, each part of which deserves due attention and description. The 1974 film Ten Little Indians, starring Oliver Reed

and ElkeSommer, was shot here.

HallsChehelsotoun Hall The large restaurant of the hotel whose two floors have the capac-ity of catering one thousand peo-ple, is in fact a museum of paint-ing, illumination, mirror encrusted stalactites, and plaster moulding which are imitated from artistic masterpieces of Qajar and Safavid periods. The ceiling of this restaurant is modeled after fretworks of the ceil-ing of Chehelsotoun’s Verandah; it only differs from Chehelsotoun in that the ceiling of Chehelsotoun is made of wood, whereas the ceiling of the restaurant, with the same very plan has been plaster mould-ed and painted. In the middle of the ceiling, one concrete plane is set up which is embellished with colored glasses and the stars in the space between its cadres are adorned with mirror works. The decorations of the restaurant’s ground floor are made entirely in the style of the Safavids. Twenty-three exquisite paintings, the masterpieces of Master Shaja-nian, cover thirty square meters of

this floor. Across the entrance door, a fine hearth catches one’s eyes. To build it, the craftsmen have em-ployed the original techniques of Layehchini and illumination. In the two sides of this exquisite fireplace, under the stairs, and around the entrance door of the restaurant to-ward the kitchen, there are painted doors each of which is an intricate and fine work. Being attentive, one can detect various designs, por-traits and miniatures in them.The paintings of all these doors are the works of the great Iranian artist Master Sanaei. The designs and mirror works of the above floor of the restaurant are based on the style of the Qajar. The designs of GolvaMorgh (flowers and birds) are all the masterpieces of the late artist SeyyedJafarRashtian. The portraits and the huge tableau on the right of the entrance door of the breakfast restaurant, which has more than fifty portraits, are the masterworks of Master Ebrahim-JabbarBeik. In the space between the upper floor of the restaurant and the corridor rooms of the first floor of the hotel, a small hall is located

ABBASI HOTEL The Glorious Arc hitecture of Iran

13

walls are carefully decorated with Tongbori and moqarnas. In one side of this hall, there is an an-tique piece both sides of which are decorated with mirror encrusted stalactites. There is also a painted glass, which has remained from the Qajars, and which is one of the exquisite pieces ever created. In order to harmonize these works with Qajar School of art, the de-signers have put up three pairs of painted Qajar doors; these doors have been fixed after repairment, refinement and paintings of their frames. These doors endow this floor with a special grandeur and grace. To create a harmony between Persian original embellishment, on the one hand, and the stone walls and acoustic ceilings which were already constructed, on the other, wooden cartouches with gilded acoustic pieces of the ceil-

ing like antique golden frames, strips have been fixed over the pieces and then painted. The vel-vet covered seats of the restau-rant, modeled after the engrav-ings of Perspolis.

Zarrin HallThis hall is located in the ground floor of the hotel and its entrance door opens to the corridor of the restaurant. The walls of this hall are light green and on these walls the most astonishing samples of illumi-nation, delineation of Safavid Cathy designs, and the plaster moulding on the mirror can be seen. Only for the illumination and layechini of this hall, twenty thou-sand sheets of gold known as In-dian (Hindi) have been used. The coverage of the walls and the ceil-ing with gold sheets are meant to preserve the varnish and gloss, which may be otherwise gradually tarnished.

The surface of this golden cover has been delineated. The surface of the plane mirror cartouches are plaster moulded, the moulded de-signs are coated with Indian gold, and are finally delineated. In this hall, about 200 square meters of plane mirror is put up. An antique latticework with colored glasses is one of many wonderful decorations of this hall. The style of this hall is originally Safavid, but as far as the composition and har-mony are concerned, it has traces of Saljuk arcades, too.

Abbasi Hall This hall is equipped with all mod-ern audio _visual devices, which are used both for local conferences and for international conventions. The large conference hall is constructed in two storeys. The ceiling of first floor is decorated with plaster moulding on convex mir-

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rors and its walls are embellished with wooden fret works whose sur-face are painted and are decorated with the same designs of the ceiling. This work is done so dexterously that at the first sight the distinction of the wooden works from the plaster mouldings is almost impossible. The ground floor of this hall which, is considered the main assembly hall, is equipped with an apparatus of simultaneous translation. Also it contains 500 seats. The ceiling of this hall is decorated with seventeen wooden moqarnases, which are in turn decorated with plaster mould-ing, mirror encrusted stalactites and painting. The spaces between wooden mo-qarnases are plaster moulded and painted. Around the hall, in the up-per parts of the walls, is decorated with plaster rows and the walls are arcade with Saljuk designs.

Naghsh-e-Jahan HallThe hall located behind the caf-eteria is also the representation of the original art of antiquity and the manifestation of modern crafts-men’s artistry. A plane of fourteen meters of colored glasses, which consists of three big windows of upper old sash windows, and a huge circle of invaluable plaster-ing which is adorned with Tashir is one of the majestic beauties of

Naghsh-e-Jahan hall. The wooden pillars of Qajar era and the craved stone of their bases, which were taken from an antique house, add to its magnificence. At both sides of the entrance door stands two gorgeous Persian Paint-ings based on the style of Reza Ab-basi, the great master of Safavid age. Moreover, the Abbasi designs of Cathay (Khataei) with golden designs and the engravings on the plain walls between the windows, which open to the garden, endow this collection of Persian taste and art with a pleasant repose.Pardis HallWith a capacity of 15 persons and also with enough facilities it is a beau-tiful and quiet place for meetings.

Firouzeh HallThis hall can hold 150 persons for seminars and exhibitions. It has all facilities for this purpose Aeeneh HallIt consists of 3 halls: Aeeneh hall No. 1, the main Aeeneh hall and Aeeneh hall No. 3The main Aeeneh hall has a capacity of 200 people in classic form and 70 in U-form.Aeeneh hall No. 1 has a capacity of 70 people and Aeeneh hall No. 3 a capacity of 60. All these three halls are used for different seminars.

Chehel-Sotoon RestaurantThis big and magnificent restau-rant has two floors, and also a unique decoration. It has a capac-ity of 400 people. The second floor is used as the breakfast hall every day from 7:00 to 10:00 where you can have breakfast as a buffet. The ground floor is used as the main restaurant for lunch all the year from 12:00 to 15:00, and for dinner in autumn and winter from 16:00 to 22:30. You are served with differ-ent Iranian and continental foods. The Traditional Restaurant It is located on the east side of the garden. Iranian as well as tradition-al foods are served (as a buffet) in spring and summer, from 18:00 to 23:00 –not in the restaurant but out-side in the nice atmosphere of the garden. In autumn and winter you will be served inside the restaurant.

Coffee ShopThe coffee shop is located in the main lobby. It serves you there with differ-ent drinks and foods (hot and cold) in a very enjoyable atmosphere. It is open 24 hours.

The Traditional TeahouseIt is located on the north side of the garden, in a unique atmosphere. It wel-comes you in spring and summer out-side, and in autumn and winter inside the teahouse, from 18:00 to 23:00.

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1. Iran Trade Exhibitions Iran International Exhibitions Company (IIEC) oversees and op-erates all international and special-ized exhibitions held in Iran. Site features exhibitions calendar and provides trade laws and regulations. IIEC is affiliated with the Iranian Ministry of Commerce. IIEC is lo-cated at the Tehran permanent fair-ground. For more information go to the following website: http://www.iranfair.com/en 2. Iran Export-Import Laws and Regulations of 2011 With your Trusted Business, Trade and Commerce partner in Iran Global trade is now more accessible than ever, but doing Import / Export business with Iran has tips you have to know. Hence to show entrepreneurs, small to large corporations, International Import/Export traders how to take advantage of the growing business opportunities available in Iran. For more information about Iran Ex-port-Import Laws and Regulations of 2011 go to following website: http://en.tpo.ir/3. Iran Trade & Business Directory Iran Trade & Business Directory is an comprehensive collection that dedicated to promoting businesses and professionals Worldwide. It is uniquely enhanced by the infusion of social Networking tools. You can list your business here for Free (basic list-ing) or for a small fee you can have a

customized Full Page ad with images and videos to describe your business to a vast audience worldwide. It is unique and affordable place to find business in Iran. 4. Foreign InvestmentForeign direct investment (FDI) or foreign investment refers to the net in-flows of investment to acquire a last-ing management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of eq-uity capital, reinvestment of earnings, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown in the balance of payments. It usually involves partici-pation in management, joint-venture, transfer of technology and expertise. There are two types of FDI: inward foreign direct investment and out-ward foreign direct investment, re-sulting in a net FDI inflow (positive or negative) and “stock of foreign direct investment”, which is the cu-mulative number for a given period. Direct investment excludes invest-ment through purchase of shares. FDI is one example of international factor movements. 5. Iran’s Business Website Iran is a market worth looking into. As Iran rebuilds and prepares for the future, it needs foreign products and knows how. Iran has a rapidly growing population and is establishing itself as a vital link with Central Asian republics. For firms

willing to invest the time and energy, attractive opportunities exist. 6. Trade Legislation in Islamic Re-public of Iran:Iran’s trade law is the most important codified set of rules for business in Iran which forms the basis of com-mercial law. The law was passed in 1932 by Parlia-ment as well as has been translated and produced Based on the 1807 French law (known as the Napoleonic Code) Except in the case of co-operatives (the Reform Act of 1968 applies) and some provisions dealing and other provisions of bankruptcy, law stays to remain. The principles of law relating to com-mercial transactions, business offices, commercial paper, and check, broker-age, business brokerage, freight con-tracts, vice president of business and other business representatives, war-ranties, bankruptcy, business name and legal personality are expressed. Act of Joint stock companies in the Trade Act amended in 1968 and the new provisions for Joint stock compa-nies in three hundred of article. 7. Investment in Iran There is no doubt; Iran has a lot of potential. It is a country that boasts a domestic market of 75 million people, 11% of the world’s proven oil reserves, 15% of the world’s proven gas reserves, 11 petrochemical complexes, 3 major steel plants and much more. However, the big question for foreign

Basic Information on Business in Iran:

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companies and especially for small and medium-size enterprises is how to turn this potential into concrete business.Foreign companies that have experi-enced Iran can tell many stories. The common theme in all these stories is that Iran is, in many ways, differ-ent from other markets even different from other markets in the Middle East. However the foreign companies gen-erally did not understand the peculiar-ities of doing business in Iran exactly. Every foreign company is in a differ-ent situation and there is no one, uni-versally applicable rule on how to start and how to develop business in Iran. That said there are a number of com-

mon themes that apply to many small and medium-size foreign companies. Iran is certainly a unique market in the Middle East. It is populous, rich in natural resources and apt to tech-nological progress and international developments. The country’s natural resources create a significant wealth. In fact, based on a resource-based evaluation, the Iranian economy is the 20th strongest in the world. On the following website, you can find the detailed information about foreign investment laws and regulations, con-tact information of Iran’s ministries and other governmental sections, in-formation about Diplomatic Consular

and their commercial Attaché, interna-tional organization located in Iran and Iran International Exhibition: http://www.iran-investment.org/ 8. Iran Customs Customs Administration of the Is-lamic Republic of Iran tries to provide passengers and traders with better and effective Services and necessary in-formation. The purpose is to facilitate Customs Procedures, respect people and gain their confidence. Here is some useful information for passengers, traders and tourists of Iranian and Foreign origin on the following website: http://www.irica.gov.ir/

The government of I.R. Iran wel-comes foreign investments and urges all the foreign investors to at-tentively peruse and its executive bylaws to know their own rights and be informed of the facilities and protections they may enjoy as well

as the legal obligations and require-ments caused by investing in Iran. In this manual, first the process of looking into the applications by foreign investors to the Investment Organization of Iran is briefly dis-cussed. Then, some articles from

FIPPA and its bylaws, referring to guarantees given to the investors, their rights, facilities granted, the protection extended as well as their commitments and obligations will be offered. The last section is devoted to entry and registration procedures

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I.R. Iran’s Foreign Investment Manual

for foreign investments once the in-vestment permit is issued.1- The process of exam-ining the applications by foreign investors to the investment organization of Iran up to permit issu-anceThe foreign investors who would like to make investments in Iran

within the framework of Iran’s Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA), need to first fill out a special form (to be obtained either in person or on-line at and submit it to the organization. The application is presented by the Investment Organization to the For-eign Investment Council and will be pursued until a permit is issued. Choosing the form depends on the type of the foreign investment and the agreement concluded between the parties (domestic and foreign investors). The form has to be sub-mitted in English except for when the investor is an Iranian expatriate or from Persian-speaking countries like Tajikistan or Afghanistan.2- Guarantees and pro-tections:- Foreign Capital is guaranteed against nationalization and ex-propriation, and in such cases the Foreign Investor shall be entitled to receive compensation (Article 9 of the FIPPA).- Should laws or government regulations lead to prohibition or cessation of approved financial agreements within the framework of this Act, then the government shall procure and pay the resulting damages (Article 17 of the FIPPA & Article 26 of the bylaws).- The purchase of goods and pro-ducer services of the foreign in-vestment is guaranteed in cases where a state-run organ is the only buyer or supplier of a product or producer service at a subsidized price (Article 11 of the bylaws). Rights and facilities:- Foreign investments subject to this Act shall enjoy the same rights, protections and facilities available to domestic investments in a non-discriminatory manner (Article 8 of the FIPPA).- The Foreign Investment and its profits may be transferred in foreign currency or goods (Articles 13-18 of the FIPPA). - Acceptance of foreign investments in all the production, industrial, ag-

ricultural, transportation, communi-cations, and services fields as well as in fields related to water, power, and gas supply and energy fields - The possibility of the refer-ral of investment-related dis-putes to international authori-ties (Article 19 of the FIPPA). - The possibility of land owner-ship in the name of the company (registered in Iran) in joint ven-tures (Article 24 of the bylaws). - Issuance of visas for three years in Iran for foreign investors, managers, experts and their immediate family members and the possibility of visa renewals (Article 20 of the FIPPA & Article 35 of the bylaws).- The investors are notified of the final decision regarding their applications within at most 45 days (Article 6 of FIPPA) - Having a choice to choose the investment method in the project as FDI or Foreign Investment in all sectors within the framework of “Civil Participation”, “Buy-Back” and “Build-Operate-Trans-fer” (BOT) schemes (Article 3 of FIPPA)- Acceptance of investments by any natural or legal non Iranian or Iranian person utilizing capital of foreign origin and granting the fa-cilities envisaged in FIPPA to them (Article 1 of FIPPA).- The foreign investor must choose an audit institute out of the audit institutes recognized by the Asso-ciation of the Official Auditors of Iran to substantiate their financial and annual reports (Articles 1, 22-23 of the bylaws).3- Legal commitments and obligations of the in-vestors- Applications of Foreign Investors in respect of issues such as admis-sion, importation, utilization and repatriation of capital under the FIPPA shall be submitted to the Organization shall only be submit-ted to The Organization and fol-lowed up through it (Article 5 of FIPPA).- The Organization should be no-

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tified of any changes in the name, address, legal shape, or national-ity of the foreign investor or of changes of more than 30% in his/her ownership (Article 33 of the bylaws).- It is necessary for the investor to notify the Organization of the transfer of all or part of his/her Foreign Capital to other inves-tors. In case of transfer to another foreign investment, it is needed to obtain the approval of the Council and the permits from the Organiza-tion (Article 10 of FIPPA).- All the applications of the foreign investor for transferring the profit, capital and the proceeds from the increase in the capital value under FIPPA must be submitted to the Organization accompanied by the report of the audit institute that is recognized by the Association of the Official Auditors of Iran (Ar-ticles 22-23 of the bylaws).- The investor is obligated to bring a portion of the capital into Iran to implement the approved project over the period of time specified by the foreign investment license which is usually 6 months. Otherwise and in order to extend the validity of the license and prevent it from being revoked, the investor is required to submit his/her reasons and justifica-tions for the delay to the Organiza-tion (Article 32 of the bylaws).- The foreign investor is required to announce the entry of its capital in-cluding cash and non-cash items to the Organization within the frame-work of the license issued for the foreign investor so that they will be registered in the Organization and subjected to FIPPA. Failure to register the entered capital is tanta-mount to not being covered by the FIPPA. (Article 11 of the FIPPA & Article 24 of the bylaws)- The Iranians who intend to utilize capital of foreign origin in Iran and wish to be subjected to FIPPA must be involved an economic and trade activities abroad and need to submit the relevant documents to the Orga-nization (Article 5 of the bylaws). - Acceptance of foreign invest-ments in the existing Iranian en-

terprises and economic companies (purchase of shares) is possible provide that added value is created in that economic unit after the pur-chase of shares.4- Other advantages and facilities:- Foreign investors can supply a portion of their capital from do-mestic and international sources as loans. Needless to say, the bor-rower will have to guarantee the repayment of the loans received. - Foreign capitals can enter the country as cash currency, machin-ery and pieces of equipment, raw materials, technical know-how, and other forms of intellectual property and they will be promoted and pro-tected.- 80% of the incomes made by the producer and mineral units based in lesser developed zones will be exempt from tax for 4 years.- 100% of the incomes made by the producer and mineral units based in lesser developed zones will be exempted from tax for 10 years.- Tourist installations are exempt from annual tax for 50%.- 100% of the income generated by the exporting industrial and agricultural, conversion industries goods and their completion are ex-empt from tax. - 50% of the incomes gener-ated by exporting goods aimed at developing the non-oil ex-portations are exempt from tax. - 100% of the incomes generated by exporting transit goods are ex-empt from tax.- Re-investments made by cooper-ative and private companies aimed at developing, restoring and com-pleting industrial and mineral units will be exempt from tax for 50%Investment Service CenterIn order to facilitate and expedite the legal tasks of investment or-ganization in the fields of encour-agement and protection of foreign investment in the country. “For-eign Investment Service Center” in the organization (second floor) was convened and representatives of the relevant office were present there. All inquiries of prospective

foreign investment are referred by this centre to the relevant organi-zations.Foreign investors through “For-eign Investment Service Center” and meeting with experts of this center get familiar with benefits and facilities of the law of encour-agement and support of foreign in-vestment and also with the process of how to obtain “foreign invest-ment license”.The center also provides invest-ment applicants with answers to their questions in the fields re-lated to administrative units posi-tioned at the center. Furthermore foreign investors can benefit from directions and helps of Investment Service Center in order to com-municate with other organization and Ministries responsible for the projects.Organization affairs and work flow in the “Service Center” are in a way that foreign investors have access to all the necessary information and solutions. Accordingly they do not need to contact the various ad-ministrative units frequently. Re-sponsibility of providing services of the center not only limited to the before- decision- making phase. Rather foreign investors can al-ways contact “Foreign Investment Service Center” during the process of investing and benefit the ser-vices.In addition, the center is ready to complete and resolve defects of the application forms of foreign investment and other documents before presenting them officially to the Organization.The applicants can lend us a hard with presenting any criticism and suggestions which are effective in increasing the productivity and service providing to foreign inves-tors. Address: Imam Khomeini Square, Davar Street, Organization for Investment ,Economic & Techni-cal Assistance of Iran, Investment Service Center, First Floor.TEL:00982133967766FAX: 00982133967774 EMAIL :fisc@investiniran.ir

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I. R. of Iran’s foreign trade in 2010:Iran’s non-oil exports in 2010 grew by 34 % comparing the previous year.Total revenues from exports surpassed $ 25.7 billion.At the same period Iran’s import has increased by 15 % to 57.3 $ billionMillion $

Export and import trend (2005-2010)

I.R.Iran’s Non-Oil exports and import to selected economic blocks

‘Movement of science production’,a book encompass-ing the views of Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was warmly welcomed by visitorsto the 63rd Frankfurt International Book Fair.The book contains the leader’s views expressed during his visit with university and seminary elites, IRNA said.

Announcing this, manager of Sci-entific-Cultural Publications said most of the Iranian visitors and several groups of publishers, vis-iting Scientific-Cultural pavilion, requested the book. “The book’s second reprintwill soon be released with its translation into four languages including English, Arabic, French and German,” he added. The book fair fully met the needs of the Muslim publishers for re-ceiving the leader’s viewpoints and the book’s translation will hopefully help them.Rendering Persian books into other languages is the best way of conveying Iran’s culture and point of views to other countries, a matter which has been ignored

so far, he noted. The 63rd Frankfurt International Book Fair concluded in October. This is while, the absence of some Iranian publishers in the Frankfurt Book Fair and Iran’s blocked pavilions in FIBF are frequently discussed by the national media.

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Leader’s Book Welcomed at FIBF

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