At 137 pages, Gilgamesh Quarterly Magazine is a fully illustrated and beautifully designed magazine that covers Iranian heritage and travel topics. The publishers curate the articles only from the most accomplished researchers and experts in their respective fields. It is the first eco-friendly magazine of its kind where the pages are composed of stone paper, for which water and trees are spared. This feature makes the paper of the magazine durable, tear-resistant, and waterproof. Gilgamesh magazine is one of the leading publications in heritage and tourism, dedicated to presenting different aspects of Iran. Each issue has its own thematic focus and has stunning photographs that inspire wanderlust. Consisting of nine sections, each letter of G-I-L-G-A-M-E-S-H stands for a section, all of which are focused on Heritage and tourism: Geography- Iranology- Lifestyle- Graball (grab+all)- Art- Mythology- Environment- Study- History. The theme of exploring Iran in an unprejudiced manner is the core mission of this issue (Autumn 2017) of the magazine. In the first article, Nima Azari, an ecotourism, and sustainable ecotourism expert introduce you to the special ecosystem situation of IRAN and the diversity of flora and fauna. Go to lesser-known attractions of Iran with the vice president of the Society for Iranian archaeology, Hamed Vahdati Nasab, and discover its natural beauties and historical wonders. Listen to Tanbour, a musical instrument akin to Dotar of Khorasan, accompanying another archaeologist and World Explorer, Shadi Ganji, on her trip to Dalahu, a city in Kermanshah. Be astonished by the tastes of Iranian food and drinks. Most tourists leave Iran without a clear understanding of Persian Gastronomy, its flavourful dishes, and how the flavors vary from town to town. The registration of Yazd City as a UNESCO World Heritage site encouraged a researcher of Historical Buildings and Fabrics and a tourist guide to write two separate articles on Yazd as one of the biggest adobe cities of the world with outstanding sites and distinctive architecture. The next article written by a tourism expert and collaborator at UNWTO sets to define responsible tourism and guides the reader to become one. The story of a French archaeologist seeking the “land of origins”, Francois Desset, can be read by the readers who are interested in the discovery of Jiroft archaeological site. An in-depth article covers Parviz Tanavoli, a pioneer in Iranian contemporary arts. Tanavoli, primarily a sculptor uses a multitude of media. The essay studies his obsession and the recurring motif of the lion in his work and the importance of the symbolism in different eras in Iran. An entire article is dedicated to the sanctity of the cypress tree, in Iranian culture, religion, mythology, and literature. The author studies the recurring theme of the patterns of this tree in Persian carpets, textile and other forms of handicrafts. Persian large cats and bird species are reflected comprehensively in two separate articles. The experts discuss the Persian Cats, whether extinct or surviving, the numerous challenges they are faced with and the projects focusing on conservation of the Asiatic Cheetah. A well-focused article on birds covers the variety of habitats of birds in Iran as well as the critically endangered birds, among which is the only endemic bird of Iran, Pleske’s Ground Jay. The subject of the last article in the environment section explains why Iran is a great location for stargazing and lists the most popular spots for astronomy in the country. A study of ancient Iranian inscriptions and the evolution of Persian script and language was done to unlock a new door to another obscure part of the history of Iran. How oracles affect our everyday life and how the future is defined in the Ancient Greek World is the subject of an article on Delphi. An activist who is thrilled with the splendor of Susa explains his research of the archaeological sites of one of the oldest human urban settlement in the world, its prosperity, and ultimate decline.

Arash Nooraqaiee (CEO), Sara Asadi (Editor in chief)