Omidvar, born Dec. 23, 1929, and his late brother Abdullah, who passed in Chile in July 2022, remain the Islamic Republic’s most “fearless” documentary makers and ethnographic explorers, according to cultural authorities. The siblings hailed from Fashandak village in Alborz province and branded their expeditions with the motto: “All different, all relatives.”

Their legacy endures at the Omidvar Brothers Museum in the Sa’adabad Historical Complex. Ali Darabi, deputy minister for cultural heritage, called the duo a symbol of “courage and insatiable thirst” for unveiling unknown tribes and vanishing landscapes. “They broke through geographical and mental borders of their time,” Darabi said in a condolence note.

Anoshirvan Mohseni Bandpey, tourism deputy at the ministry, confirmed Omidvar’s death, praising the brothers as first Iranians who “kept Iran’s name alive” across remote corners of the globe, including both poles. A planned tribute for International Museum Day on May 18 will now stand as a posthumous honor. “Fate did not grant us the time,” Darabi added. Officials say the museum remains a permanent inspiration for Iran’s next generation of adventurers.