Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization

The gates of Bagh Melli, where some offices of ICHTO are located. The gates were constructed during the Qajar dynasty.

Iran Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization (Persian: سازمان میراث فرهنگی، صنایع دستی و گردشگری‎‎) is an educational and research institution overseeing numerous associated museum complexes throughout Iran. It is administered and funded by the Government of Iran.

It was established in 1985 by legislation from the Majlis merging 11 research and cultural organizations. The current head of organization is Masoud Soltanifar, taking office on 1 February 2014

It publishes and oversees the publication of many journals and books, and carries out projects in conjunction with foreign museums and academia. It is similar in scope and activity to the Smithsonian Institution.

Some ICHTO Museums and Palaces

• National Museum of Iran
• Morvarid Palace
• Sadabad Palace
• Niavaran Palace Complex
• Golestan Palace
• Naghsh-i Jahan Square
• Glassware and Ceramics Museum of Iran
• National Rug Gallery of Iran
• Reza Abbasi Museum
• Malik National Museum of Iran
• National Car Museum of Iran
• Arg-é Bam
• Pars Museum of Shiraz
• The National Museum of Medical Sciences History (Iran)

The cultural heritage news agency isn't government. It is non-government.

Some organizations administered by ICHTO

• Iran Tourism and Touring Organization
• Cultural Heritage News Agency
• ICHTO Public Relations Office
• Research Center for Conservation of Cultural Relics
• ICHTO Documentation Center
• Noruz Anthropology Research Center
• Technical Office for Preservation Projects of ICHTO
• Research Center of the Traditional Arts

Some ICHTO archeological projects

• Masooleh Historical Town
• Haft Teppe
• Ayapir
• Chogha Zanbil
• Sultaniyeh
• Bisutun
• Takht-i-Suleiman
• Arg Bam
• Persepolis and Pasargad

ICHTO has branches in all Provinces of Iran that administer and operate local projects, sites and museums. Links to some of these branches are given below. Some links are in English and contain detailed information:

• East Azarbaijan ICHTO
• Tehran ICHTO
• Khorasan ICHTO
• Qazvin ICHTO
• Qom ICHTO
• Semnan ICHTO
• Kerman ICHTO
• Isfahan ICHTO
• Lorestan ICHTO
• Markazi ICHTO
• Fars ICHTO
• Kermanshah ICHTO
• Birjand ICHTO
• Kurdestan ICHTO
• Mazandaran ICHTO
• Sistan and Baluchestan ICHTO
• Bushehr ICHTO
• Gilan ICHTO
• Hamedan ICHTO
• Yazd ICHTO

See also

• Tourism in Iran
• Iranian art
• International rankings of Iran
• Culture of Iran
• History of Iran
• Smithsonian Institution
• Architecture of Iran
• Economy of Iran

External links

• (Persian) CHN: ICHTO Official News Service
• (English) CHN: ICHTO Official News Service
• (Persian) Official website