Seventeen Armenian cemeteries in different villages in southwestern Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province of Iran have been inscribed on the National Heritage list, a provincial tourism chief has said, Tehran Times reports.
The cemeteries belong to Armenians, who fled to Isfahan and later to Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari during the Ottoman–Safavid War (1603–18).
Armenians who settled in this province, begun to develop the gardens and vineyards, which existed for hundred years before their arrival, the official added.
Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari has various unique traditions and rituals relative to the ‘tribal’ lifestyles. Special forms of music, dance, and clothing are noteworthy. It has considerable potential to become a vibrant tourist attraction because of its changing natural landscape.
The province is also a hub for making wool felt products, majorly of which exported abroad. It is home to some 500 crafters, in over 250 workshops, making handmade felt products.
