Scientific Quarterly Journal

A Critical Reading of Sirjan's Ritual Landscape and Its Potential for Place-Based Tourism Development


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 26 July 2026

Document Type : Viewpoint/ Critical Review

Author

Landscape Architecture Department, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Ritual tourism lies at the intersection of tourism and ritual landscape studies. Some places possess distinctive rituals that are closely linked to the identity of the city and its local community. This article introduces the ritual landscape of Sirjan and evaluates its potential for ritual tourism in relation to the local community and place-based tourism. Based on field observations of the historic core of Sirjan and an examination of its ritual centers, the main areas of ritual significance and the routes with the potential to become ritual pathways were identified. A ritual landscape tourism potential map was then prepared, illustrating the ritual zone, ritual structure, and ritual centers, and highlighting the areas with the greatest potential for ritual tourism. These areas can strengthen the local community’s sense of belonging while enhancing the city’s tourism attractiveness. The findings indicate that the concentration of tourism on a limited number of modern attractions, together with contemporary urban expansion, has led to the neglect of the tourism potential embedded in Sirjan’s ritual landscape. The spatial dispersion of ritual centers, the disruption of perceptual continuity between historical and ritual sites, and the reduced legibility of ritual routes are identified as the main barriers to ritual tourism development. Conversely, the presence of a network of Hosseiniyehs and Tekyehs, the continuity of religious and traditional rituals, and their integration with the city’s historic fabric represent Sirjan’s most important spatial assets for the development of ritual landscape tourism.

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Subjects
  • Receive Date 13 July 2026
  • Revise Date 24 July 2026
  • Accept Date 26 July 2026