The Director General of Cultural Heritage and Tourism of Tehran Province has issued an order banning any type of Yalda Night tour due to the coincidence of this night with the anniversary of the death of the Prophet of Islam and the second and eighth Imams of Shia Muslims this year. According to the Cultural Heritage News Agency, Rajabali Khosrowabadi, the Director General of Tourism in Tehran, emphasized in his decree that reports of violations of this order will be referred to the technical commission of this directorate, which is responsible for overseeing travel and tourism service offices according to the law. The Cultural Heritage News Agency of Iran reported on Tuesday, December 25, that the full text of this decree was addressed to all travel and tourism service offices, the Association of Air Travel and Tourism Offices of Iran, and the Association of Travel and Tourism Offices of Tehran Province. The issuance of this directive comes at a time when many Iranian tourism agencies have been planning Yalda Night tours for months and have registered interested participants. Meanwhile, several of these tourism agencies have announced on their websites that a large portion of their Yalda Night tour capacity has been filled, with only limited availability for applicants. Some of these agencies had indicated in their advertisements that they would hold Yalda Night tours for several days, referencing the holidays on Sunday, December 30, and Tuesday, January 2. Tourism agencies have also made reservations for hotels and transportation for these tours. The issuance of the ban on Yalda Night tours comes as the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization has predicted that 'high-volume travel' will occur during the period from December 25 to January 5, referencing the two-day holiday next week. Meanwhile, the Central Coordination Headquarters for Travel Services, which operates under this organization, has requested all travel service executive headquarters in 31 provinces of Iran to prepare to provide services to travelers by holding meetings and coordinating with other agencies. The Travel Coordination Headquarters of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization is formed during extensive travel periods for Iranian citizens, such as during the Nowruz holiday.
Holding Yalda Night Tours Banned This Year
The Tehran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Director has banned Yalda Night tours this year due to religious observances coinciding with the event. Many tourism agencies had already planned and filled their tours, leading to potential economic impacts. This decision reflects ongoing tensions between cultural practices and religious observances in Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Tehran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Director has banned Yalda Night tours this year due to the coincidence of the event with significant religious observances. Many tourism agencies had already planned these tours, leading to potential economic repercussions.
- The ban was issued due to the overlap with the anniversary of the death of the Prophet of Islam and Shia Imams.
- Tourism agencies had already filled many of their Yalda Night tour slots before the ban was announced.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Yalda Night is a traditional Persian celebration marking the winter solstice, but its observance can clash with important religious dates in Shia Islam, leading to such bans.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%