Chahar Taqi-e Niasar

TEHRAN, June 21--Chahar Taqi-e Niasar, near Kashan in Isfahan province, is one of the most well-preserved historical monuments in Iran which was registered as a national heritage under No. 316 in 1938.

The monument was used in ancient times as an observatory to study the movements of the sun in the early days of the summer and winter, wrote the Persian daily Jam-e Jam.

In keeping with the tradition, each year, Niasar Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department organizes a ceremony to mark the observance of sun’s birth in the early days of the two seasons.

Some of the ancient customs which have survived to the present day include the summer festival which begins with the summer solstice and is also observed in the cities of Farahan and Arak, both in Markazi province.

Another feast, which has gone into oblivion and still remains largely unknown, is called ’Lotus Feast’--a reference to which was made in ’Asar-ul Baqieh’ by the well-known Iranian scientist Abu-Reyhan Birouni. The feast may have been linked to the blooming of flowers in the summer.

Parseh, an ancient Zoroastrian festival is the third event which is observed on the first day of Iranian month Tir (June 22) marking the beginning of summer.

This year, the ceremony to observe the sighting of the sun on the first day of summer will also be held in cooperation with Niasar Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department and Niasar Municipality.