Nasrollah Fallahtabar - Associate Professor of Geography Group, Azad Islamic University, Yadegar-e Imam Khomeini (May God be pleased with him) Branch, Shahre-e Rey, Tehran –Iran

Researches indicate that tourism, and specifically religious tourism, has an ancient history. This issue which is one of the significant foundations of the global economy in the twenty first century is now apparent among the nations of the globe, especially for Muslim nations, more than ever due to travel incentives and invention of various means of transportation. Since the old times, people traveled around the globe for several purposes including food, touring, trade, pilgrimage to holy places, entertainment, a variety of sports, which is continued with an increasing trend. Nowadays, one of the most common types of tourism is the religious and pilgrimage tourism which is flourished and prospered, in the light of Islamic laws and regulations, after formation of stable Islamic governments and as security is maintained. An special attention has been paid to touring and journeys in Islam religion, specifically in the word of God almighty in the Holy Quran, touring is emphasized and repeated as examples for the servants in more than tens of verses so that people act intelligently as they see the relics of the past, and in fact, these are a guiding light for those who are trying to provide themselves with spirituality and free themselves from the darkness and to bring peace and comfort besides safety for themselves. The Islamic country of Iran, has a high potential of religious tourism, and with the holy shrine of his Holiness Imam Reza (PBUH) and the holy shrine of her Holiness Fatemeh Masoumeh (PBUH) and also over ۳۴۰۰ known Pantheons which many of them is the shrine of great martyrs, also ۸۹۱۹ holy religious places, can be the vanguard of religious and pilgrimage tourism in the world and thus to benefit from its economic and spiritual effects, which we address here in this paper.

Tourism, religious tourism, Touring and Journeys, Holy Quran, Divine Verses, Islam