TEHRAN – A collection of photographs featuring cultural and natural attractions in Turkey will go on show at a major museum in Mashhad, northeast Iran.A photo exhibition on Turkish tourism is scheduled to open at Khorasan Great Museum on June 11, the director of the museum Ali Safarnejad said on Thursday.“Iran and Turkey have a lot in common culturally that can be introduced to the world through such events,” Safarnejad said.He made the remarks in a meeting with Fatih Topcu, the Turkish Consulate General in Mashhad, CHTN reported.Moreover, Khorasan Great Museum is set to ink agreements with a number of major Turkish museums such as Topkapi Palace Museum, and Istanbul Archaeological Museum to extend cooperation, the official added.Earlier in May, the Iranian tourism minister Ezatollah Zarghami called for further efforts to deepen cooperation with Turkey.Identifying common grounds and investing in tourism facilities to expand relations are on the agenda, Zarghami in a meeting with Ali Yildirim, the president of Turkey's Alevi community.The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.AFM