The windswept dunes of the Lut Desert, the green and ambush Hyrcanian Forests in North of Iran, and 24 cultural sites spanning thousands of years have been inscribed on the UNESCO list in Iran. Recently theTrans-Iran Railway and the Cultural Landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat have also been added to the list to make Iran a must-see land. Here is a brief description of these culrual, natural, historic sites.

Tchogha Zanbil

Date of Submission: 1979
State, Region or Province: Khuzestan Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 113

Chogha Zanbil is the first Iranian site to be inscribed on the UNECSO World Heritage list in 1979. The Tchogha Zanbil was constructed circa 1250 BC by the King Untash Napirisha in an ancient Elamite complex in the modern day Khuzestan Province of Iran. It was built mainly to honor Inshushinak, the great God.
The ensemble contains the largest ziggurat of Mesopotamia. The first enclosure contains the temonos in origin, while the second enclosure, trapezoidal in form, delimits a vast, almost empty zone.
The temple located at the center in a cube building, related to the Sumerian god Inshushinak. Also Ishnikarab and Kiririsha temples are situated on the north-western side of the ziggurat
The contemporary ziggurat is approximately 25 m high, since the last two stages, have been damaged which originally rose to a height of 60 m.

More information on:
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Persepolis

Date of Inscription: 1979
State, Region or Province: Marv dasht, Fars Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 114

The mightiest monument of Fars province, the one that really indicates the honor and greatness of Iran is undoubtedly Persepolis and its landscape, the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It is situated 70 Km northeast of Shiraz, in the Fars Province, at the foot of Kuh-i-Rahmat (Mountain of Mercy) in the plain of Marv Dasht.
Fars became a major power in the 5th century BC. Persepolis was also constructed during this period. It has been proved that It was Darius I the Great, who ordered the construction of Persepolis, particularly the terrace and the main palaces inspired by Mesopotamian models between 518 and 516 B.C. The construction of Persepolis was followed during the reign of his son, King Xerxes the Great.
The Persepolis platform indicates that the Audience Hall of the Apadana, the Throne Hall, and the Gate of Xerxes, were located at the northern part of the Terrace, representing the official section of the Persepolis complex. On the other hand, the Palaces of Darius and Xerxes, the Harem, the Council Hall are situated at the other part of Terrace.
The Persepolis was finally destructed by Alexander the Great, who sent the main force of his army to Persepolis in the year 330 BC through the Royal road.
More information on:

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Naqsh-e Jahan Square

Date of Submission: 1979
State, Region or Province: Esfahan Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 115

Naqsh-e Jahan Square, known as Imam Square, is a square located at the center of modern day Isfahan city, Iran. Naqsh-e-Jahan Square was constructed in 1598, when Shah Abbas decided to move the capital from Qazvin to Isfahan and became the main meeting place for the Shah and the people.
Naqsh-e Jahan Square with 89,600 m2 is surrounded by historical buildings from the Safavid era. Ali Qapu Palace is located on the west side, while Shah Mosque is situated on the south side of this square. On the east side is Sheikh Lotf Allad Mosque and the northern side opens into the Isfahan Historical Complex Bazaar. Among all the four monuments, Lotfollah Mosque was the first to be built. Ali Qapu Mansion has a large and massive structure, built in six floors and reaching 48 m height. The Isfahan Bazaar complex which can be traced back to a thousand years ago to Seljuq dynasty but it is mainly from the Safavid period. It is a historical market and one of the oldest and largest bazaars of the Middle East. It is a vaulted, two-kilometer street linking the old city with the new. Masjed Shah can be considered as the Crown Jewel of Naqsh-e-Jahan square.

More information on:

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Takht-e-Soleyman

Date of Submission: 2003
State, Region or Province: Western Azerbaijan Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1077

The complex of Takht-e-Soleyman monument (meaning throne of Solomon) is situated on a natural highland, approximately 20 m above the surrounding plain. It is located in West Azerbaijan province, near Takab village within a mountainous region (approximately 750 km from Tehran).
Takht-e Soleyman ensemble of royal architecture, joining the principal architectural elements constructed by the Sassanians in a harmonious composition inspired by their natural context. Takht-e-Soleyman architecture afftected not only on the development of Islamic architecture, but also other cultures.
All the structural relics have been constructed within an oval shaped rampart. The exterior rampart with 5m thickness, 14m height and outer circumference of 1200 m has 38 conical defense towers.
More information on: 
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Pasargadae

Date of Submission: 2004
State, Region or Province: Fars Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1106

Pasargadae, the capital of Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC) and also his last resting place, was a city in the ancient Persia. This is today an archaeological site, inscribed among the Iranian UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Cyrus the great, the Iranian emperor, defined the first declaration of Human Rights on Cyrus Cylinder. Cyrus is more admired as a liberator than a conqueror of his vast empire, due to his respect for human rights and the humane treatment of those he ruled.
Enclosed is a rendition of the spirit of his message from the ancient Cylinder in modern English:
1. I declare that I will respect all the traditions, customers and religions of the nations of my empire and never let any of my governors to look down or insult the inhabitants of my nations.
2. If anyone oppresses others, should it happen, I will take his/her right back and penalize the oppressors.
3. Today I declare freedom of religions, all are free to choose any religion, live in all regions and take up any job provided that they never violate other's rights.
For a complete translation, please refer to the British Museum page.
More information on:
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Bam and its Cultural Landscape

Date of Submission: 2004
State, Region or Province: Kerman Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1208

The Arg-e Bam is the largest adobe building in the world, located in the modern day Bam city, Kermān Province. Arg-e Bam belongs to the Achaemenid period (6th to 4th centuries BC) and even beyond. The flourishing period of the citadel was from the 7th to 11th centuries, being at the crossroads of some important trade routes. This city was recognized for the production of silk and cotton garments.
The Bam citadel, located at the center of the city, has a significant impact on planning and architecture of the city, because it can be understood that the planner(s) had foreseen the entire final form of the building and city from the first steps in the planning process.
On December 26, 2003, and earthquake destroyed the main part of the Citadel, along with some other parts of Bam city and its environs. However a few days after the earth quake it was announced that the Citadel will be reconstructed as it was. Bam Citadel was inscribed in the list of world’s endangered sites between 2003 and 2013, but finally The UN body removed Bam Citadel from its list of World Heritage in Danger in 2013, following the improvement in the site’s management, conservation and progress in restoration.

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Soltaniyeh

Date of Submission: 2005
State, Region or Province: Zanjan Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1188

The Soltanieh Dome, the tomb of Soltan Mohammad, erected between 1302 and 1312 AD, is considered the oldest double-shell dome built in Iran. The main structure was tremendously damaged in later years and it was reconstructed during Shah Abas rule. This world heritage site is now located in Soltanieh city, Zanjan Province, west of Iran. In André Godard’s view it is a normal, if spectacularly large dome, with a thin skin on top for the faience and is in no way a double dome.
In this structure, design characteristics and tectonic performance are combined to create an increasingly ornamental architectural structure. The estimated 200 ton dome stands 49 meters (161 ft) tall from its base, and is currently undergoing extensive renovation.

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Bisotun

Date of Submission: 2006
State, Region or Province: Kermanshah Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1222

Bisotun is an archaeological site located along a historical trade route in Kermanshah Province of Iran, containing remains dating back to pre-historic times through the history of ancient Persia. It bears unique testimony to the Persian empire and the interchange of influences in art and writing in the region. Its primary monument is the Bisotun Inscription, made in 521 BC by Darius the Great when he conquered the Persian throne.
The inscription is written in 3 languages: Elamite, Babylonian and Old Persian. It is to cuneiform script what the Rosetta stone is to Egyptian hieroglyphs: the document is most crucial in the decipherment of a previously lost script. There is also a dramatic story (Bisutun), as written by Ferdowsi in Shahnameh, about a man named Farhad, who was a lover of King Khosrow's wife, Shirin. The legend states that, exiled for his transgression, Farhad was given the task of cutting away the mountain to find water; if he succeeded, he would be given permission to marry Shirin. After many years and the removal of half of the mountain, he did find water, but was informed by Khosrow that Shirin had died. He went mad, threw his axe down the hill, kissed the ground and died. It is told that his axe was made out of a pomegranate tree, and, where he threw the axe, a pomegranate tree grew with fruit that would cure the ill. Shirin was not dead, according to the story, and mourned upon hearing the news.

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Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran

Date of Submission: 2008
State, Region or Province: West Azerbaijan Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1262

Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran is definitely one of the best of Armenian architectural and decorative traditions, which lies in the north-west of the country, West Azerbayejan Province. The property consists of three monastic Armenian ensembles: St Thaddeus and St Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor, which the oldest one, St Thaddeus, can be traced back to 7th century.
The ensembles are still standing despite of both natural disasters and human origins, since they have been reconstructed many times, mostly from the early 19th century, when Abbas Mirza helped in reconstructions and repairs.
In fact the Armenian Monastic Ensembles are the only vestige of Armenian nation which indicates a very long relation between Persian and Armenian culture and civilization.

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Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System

Date of Submission: 2009
State, Region or Province: Khuzestan Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1315

Shushtar is an ancient city, about 92 kilometers far from Ahvaz, the capital of the Khuzestan province. During the Sassanian era, it was an island city on the Karun River and was selected as the summer capital for the king. However, the history of this masterpiece of creative genius and civil engineering structure can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century BC.
The structure of Shushtar hydraulic system is probably influenced by Petra dam and tunnel, as well as Roman engineering. It is noteworthy that the Shushtar hydraulic system has been introduced not only as a Wonder of the World by the Persians, but also by the Arab-Muslims at the peak of their civilization.

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Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble

Date of Submission: 2010
State, Region or Province: Aredebil Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1345

The Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil was built at the beginning of the 16th century, however it was reconstructed at the end of the 18th century. It is mainly constructed based on Islamic architecture and consists of different sections regarding Iran’s culture: A mosque, a big main library, a hospital, a school, mausoleum, etc.

After the Islamic conquest and before Moghol invasion, Ardebil was the largest city in North- Western Iran. At this period, the town shattered for three centuries until the advent of the Safavid Dynasty, of which Sheikh Safi al-Din (1252-1334) is the eponym. Sheikh Safi al-Din followed Sheikh Zāhed e-Gilāni but after his death, he established his own place and developed his own way. So He founded a khānegāh in Ardabil, which was later became his shrine.
Shah Ismail, Sheikh Safi al-Din’s successor as the Sufi leader of the khanegah, became the first shah of the Safavid Dynasty and declared the khanegah as the state religion. The Safavids dynasty spared no expense in enriching and decorating the structure of the shrine of their ancestor with many works of art. The shrine became a focus for pilgrims from around the world and a religious ensemble containing outstanding works of art, ornamentation, and archaeology from the 14th to the 18th centuries.

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Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex

Date of Submission: 2010
State, Region or Province: East Azerbaijan Province
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1346

Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex is one of the biggest and most important covered bazaars in the world. The bazaar borders Ali Qapu Palace (where Qajar (1785-1925) Crown Princes lived) on the east, Tabriz Jame Mosque on the west and Qouri Chai (Mehranroud) River on the north.
While the exact date of the construction of this bazaar is unknown, 10th century travelers have made reference to it in their travelogues. Between the 12th and the 18th centuries, Tabriz Bazaar was one of the most important international trade and cultural centers in the world due to its location on the Silk Road.
The bazaar, which is located at the heart of Tabriz, flourished during the 16th century when the city shortly became the capital of the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736). The bazaar has high arches and domes with moqarnas decorations as well as lightwells strategically positioned to provide sufficient lighting for the passages and shops located along its main vaulted street.
The Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex has been registered as a National Heritage Site in 1975 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.

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Persian Garden

Date of Submission: 2011

State, Region or Province:  Different Regions

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1372

The property includes 9 gardens, selected from different regions of Iran: Pasargad Persian Garden at Pasargadea, Chehel Sotun in Isfahan, Fin Garden in Kashan, Eram Garden in Shiraz, Shazdeh Garden in Mahan, Dolatabad Garden in Yazd, Abbasabad Garden in Mazandaran, Akbarieh Garden in south Khorasan Province and Pahlevanpour Garden.

The idea of the style and tradition in the design of Persian Gardens has widely spread in other countries from Persia lands to India and even beyond.

The architecture of the Persian Gardens highly depends on the Iran's weather conditions. For instance Iran's dry heat makes water as a very important element in the decoration style. Moreover the architect usually attempts to link indoors with outdoors via the connection of a surrounding garden with an inner courtyard. Designers often place architectural elements such as valuated arches between the outer and interior areas to open up the divide between them.

For more information, please refer to:

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Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan 

Date of Submission: 2012

State, Region or Province: Isfahan Province

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1397

Masjed-e Jame of Esfahan is one of the largest mosque still standing in the heart of Iran, Isfahan. The Jame mosque is the result of continual construction, additions and renovations on the site from around 771 to the end of the 20th century, however it was firstly established at the 8th century, but it burnt down and was rebuilt again in the 11th century and went through remodeling many times. the final result has rooms with different architectural styles, so the mosque truly represents a condensed history of the Iranian architecture, culture and life style.

The main changes occurred during the Seljuq dynasty, while two brick domed chambers were constructed. The south dome was built to house the mihrab in 1086–87 by Nizam al-Mulk, the famous minister of Malik Shah, and was larger than any other domes. The north dome was constructed a year later by Nizam al-Mulk's rival Taj al-Mulk.

Further additions and modifications applied incorporating elements from the Monghols, Muzzafarids, Timurids and Safavids, regarding to needs of the space, political issues, religious developments, and changes in taste. For instance Safavid intervention was largely decorative, with the addition of minarets, glazed tile-work, and minarets flanking the south iwan.

For more information, please refer to:

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Gonbad-e Qābus 

Date of Submission: 2012

State, Region or Province: Jorjan Province

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1398

Gonbad-e-Qabus is a monument, located in a city with the same name in north of Iran, Golestan province. Gonbad city is 93 Km north east from Gorgan, a sizeable town in northern Iran near the Caspian Sea.

The Gonbad-e-Qabus is actually a spectacular tomb tower, a stunning memorial to the remarkable Qabus, a prince, poet, scholar, general and the patron of the arts. He ruled the surrounding region at the turn of the 11th century and decided to build a monument to last forever.

The 55m (180ft) tower was completed on 1006, six years before Qabus was slain by an assassin.

For more information, please refer to:

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Golestan Palace

Date of Submission: 2013

State, Region or Province: Tehran Province

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1422

During the reign of the Safavid Shah Abbas I, a vast Garden called Chahar Bagh (Four Gardens), a governmental residence were constructed on the present site of Golestan Palace and its surroundings in Tehran. The Arg was built during the reign of Tahmasp I (1524-1576) and was reconstructed by Karim Khan Zand (1750-1779). 
Later Karim Khan Zand ordered the construction of a citadel and a number of towers in the same area. In the Qajar era some royal buildings were gradually built within the citadel. In 1813 the eastern part of the royal Garden was extended and some other places were built around the Golestan garden. 
The group of places in the northern part of the garden, consists of the museum hall, the ivory hall, the crystal hall and Narinjestan hall.
Among all halls, the most famous one is the Ayineh Hall for its extraordinary mirror work. The Hall was designed by Haj Abdoul Hossein Memar bashi (Sanie-ol-Molk), with the cooperation of Yahaya Khan Moetamed-ol-Molk,the Minister of Architecture, who acted as consultant to the designer.

For more information, please refer to:

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Shahr-e Sukhteh (the Burnt City)

Date of Submission: 2014

State, Region or Province: Khuzestran Province

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1456

Since 1967 archeologists are excavating the Shahr-e Sukhteh (Burnt City) to learn about this mysterious and high technology city from the far past.

All of the historical amusements are so interesting and valuable that millions of people travel around the world to see them and feel their atmosphere. Iran is among the richest countries in having such extraordinary sites and every year thousands of tourists choose to have a tour in Iran to see the history alive.

5000 years ago there was a city on south east of Iran that after being burnt down for three times finally it got abandoned in 1800 BC. The city experienced four stages of civilization and it sits on the banks of Helmand River along the Zahedan-Zabol road in the southeast province of Sistan and Baluchestan.

Human remaining found in city’s cemetery shows people were buried in different positions, which scientists believe is the evidence of coexisting different cultures at Burnt City. A human skull with signs of brain surgery was found that can prove brain surgery was originated in Persia instead of Egypt. The oldest known backgammon and dice made of turquoise and agate were found during excavations.

According to the excavations anthropologists have realized that the residents of Shahr-e Sukhteh were very civilized since they have not found any kind of weapon in the city.

For more information, please refer to:

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Cultural Landscape of Meymand

Date of Submission: 2015

State, Region or Province: Kerman Province

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1423

Meymand is an ancient rock village enlisted in Iran’s national heritage sites. Also, UNESCO has inscribed it as an Iranian tangible cultural heritage. When you look more closely at the village, you can see its dazzling fortress, tower, and gorgeous houses dispersed in different directions. That is why such cultural landscape has turned into a tourist attraction. The remnants of the ancient inhabitants of this village are:

• Inscriptions,
• 10000-year-old carvings, and
• 6000-year-old potteries

It should be noted that there are several inscriptions in this village. However, here is the translation of part of it:
“When Meymand mountains crack and their legends come true, a treasure will be disclosed, which will be only within the reach of the one who comes from the Sun.”

Different opinions have been expressed about the history of this village. According to archaeological discoveries, the motifs and inscriptions of Meymand are 12000 years old. Based on this statement, the experts estimate the same history for the village itself too. The Meymand potteries unearthed are also estimated to be as ancient as 2000-3000 years old.

The unique architectural feature of this village is the fact that they have not laid stone, bricks or other constructional materials on top of one another to build accommodation for the inhabitants. In other words, the construction of the structure has not been carried out in the open air. On the contrary, it has been performed by excavating and carving.

For more information, please refer to:

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Susa

Date of Submission: 2015

State, Region or Province: Khuzestan Province

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1455

Shush or the ancient city of Susa is considered one of the oldest world human settlements with a history of more than 6000 years registered in UNESCO’s list. According to the documents and evidences of the antiquity, Susa has been one of the main Iranian cities known for its magnificence. Even older than this city, in the vicinity of this settlement center, there have been unearthed the remnants of a village dating back to 7000 years ago.

During mid-fifth millennium B.C, there were more than 100 villages in Khuzestan plain, South West of Iran today. One of the outstanding examples of these villages is Tchogha Mish in the middle of this plain. The formation of these villages started with nomads settled in one place and the beginning of farming and pottery making. Although it was at the margin of this plain, it soon turned into a ritual center in the region.

Arts flourished a lot during this period. The skills of the metal workers resulted in creating fabulous gold and silver figurines. Embellishments on the molded bricks of this era presents a particular aspect of the middle Elamite art inspired by the Babylonia. The graves of this era were built with curved ceilings.

For more information, please refer to:

UNESCO PAGE

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Lut Desert

Date of Submission: 2016

State, Region or Province: Kerman Province

Category: Natural

Ref: 1505

Iran’s Lut Desert is often called the hottest place on Earth—though that depends on how you’re defining “hottest.” To be precise, the Lut holds the record for having the Earth’s hottest surface temperature, which can climb as high as 159 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius). 

In any case, this scorching superlative is not the only thing that makes this region unique. The desert is speckled with gigantic rock formations, some of the tallest sand dunes in the world, salt plains, sinkholes, forgotten castles, and friendly wolves that roam around at night.

For more information, please refer to:

UNESCO PAGE

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The Persian Qanat

Date of Submission: 2016

State, Region or Province: Different Regions

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1506

Qanats, are 3,000-year-old marvels of engineering in deserts, many of which are still in use throughout Iran. Beginning in the Iron Age, surveyors—having found an elevated source of water, usually at the head of a former river valley or even in a cave lake—would cut long, sloping tunnels from the water source to where it was needed.

The orderly holes still visible above ground are air shafts, bored to release dust and provide oxygen to the workers who dug the qanats by hand, sometimes as far as forty miles. The tunnels eventually open at ground level to form vivid oases.

Constructing qanats was a painstaking task, made even more so by the need for great precision. The angle of the tunnel’s slope had to be steep enough to allow the water to flow freely without stagnating—but too steep and the water would flow with enough force to speed erosion and collapse the tunnel.

Although difficult work—even after completion, qanats require yearly maintenance—the irrigation tunnels allowed agriculture to bloom in the arid desert. The technology spread, through Silk Road trade and Muslim conquest, and qanats can be found as far as Morocco and Spain.

For more information, please refer to:

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Historic City of Yazd

Date of Submission: 2017

State, Region or Province: Yazd Province

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1544

The desert in the central part of Iran is house to a number of settlements, most notably the city of Yazd. Although it has not enjoyed the title of the capital city, at no point in the history of Iran, the city rose in importance and prosperity as a result of its location on the Silk Road.

The fabric of the city has been so elaborately integrated with the fabric of the desert that the adaptation of life to the harsh circumstances of the desert is marvelous. Settlement in the region has been undertaken having principles of sustainable development in mind; the bioclimatic architecture of the city has caused the least amount of damage to the environment. Consequently, the urban structure of Yazd has been acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

A skyline of Yazd consists of low structures, clay domes, wind-towers, mosques and sābāts (passageways). The city is furnished, almost uniformly, in earthen structures as a means of enduring the harsh circumstances of the desert. Moreover, the endurance and life of the city owes much to qanāts, as water reservoirs; wind towers, as air ventilation mechanisms; domes and mudbrick walls, as methods of facilitating air ventilation and temperature moderation; sābāts, covered passageways providing shadow for pedestrians.

For more information, please refer to:

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Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region

Date of Submission: 2018

State, Region or Province: Fars Province

Category: Cultural

Ref: 1568

Located in the southeast of the Iranian province of Fars, these eight archaeological sites are located in three geographical areas: Firuzabad, Bishapur and Savestan. These are fortified structures, palaces and urban plans whose construction dates back to the first and last moments of the Sassanian Empire, which extended in the region between the years 224 and 658 of our era. The sites include in particular the first capital of the founder of the dynasty, Ardachir Papakan and a city and architectural structures due to his successor, King Shapur Iº. This archaeological landscape, which is based on an optimal exploitation of the natural topography, testifies to the influence of the Achaemenian and Partan cultural traditions and exchanges with Roman art, which had an important influence on the architecture and artistic approaches of the Islamic period.

For more information, please refer to:

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Hyrcanian Forests

Date of Submission: 2019

State, Region or Province: Different Regions

Category: Natural

Ref: 1584

The local people call the Hyrcanian Forests living fossil, the center of the world, the Caspian forests, the natural museum, etc. It’s a very valuable green zone in the north of Iran. In antiquity, Hyrcania was an administrative region on the territory of the current Iranian provinces of several Iranian provinces as well as part of Turkmenistan. In classical antiquity, the Greeks and Persians called the Caspian the Hyrcanian Ocean.

The Hyrcanian forests are a strip of 800 kilometers long, extending from northwest to the northeast of Iran. The name of these forests originates from the old name of Gorgan, which was formerly called Hyrcan. Today, this city is the capital of Golestan province, at the southeast of the Caspian Sea. The biodiversity and originality of the region and its rare and unique species of vegetation and animals attract visitors. Hyrcanian Forests, extending from east to west, cover parts of five provinces of Iran:

• North Khorasan Province
• Golestan Province
• Mazandaran Province
• Gilan Province
• Ardabil Province

For more information, please refer to:

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Cultural Landscape of Uramanat/Howraman

Date of Submission: 2021
State, Region or Province: Kordestan and Kermanshah Provinces
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1647

The remote and mountainous landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat bears testimony to the traditional culture of the Hawrami people, an agropastoral Kurdish tribe that has inhabited the region since about 3000 BCE. The property, at the heart of the Zagros Mountains in the provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah along the western border of Iran, encompasses two components: the Central-Eastern Valley (Zhaverud and Takht, in Kurdistan Province); and the Western Valley (Lahun, in Kermanshah Province). The mode of human habitation in these two valleys has been adapted over millennia to the rough mountainous environment. Tiered steep-slope planning and architecture, gardening on dry-stone terraces, livestock breeding, and seasonal vertical migration are among the distinctive features of the local culture and life of the semi-nomadic Hawrami people who dwell in lowlands and highlands during different seasons of each year. Their uninterrupted presence in the landscape, which is also characterized by exceptional biodiversity and endemism, is evidenced by stone tools, caves and rock shelters, mounds, remnants of permanent and temporary settlement sites, and workshops, cemeteries, roads, villages, castles, and more. The 12 villages included in the property illustrate the Hawrami people’s evolving responses to the scarcity of productive land in their mountainous environment through the millennia.

For more information, please refer to:

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Trans-Iranian Railway

Date of Submission: 2021
State, Region or Province: Several Provinces
Category: Cultural
Ref: 1585

The Trans-Iranian Railway connects the Caspian Sea in the northeast with the Persian Gulf in the southwest crossing two mountain ranges as well as rivers, highlands, forests and plains, and four different climatic areas. Started in 1927 and completed in 1938, the 1,394-kilometre-long railway was designed and executed in a successful collaboration between the Iranian government and 43 construction contractors from many countries. The railway is notable for its scale and the engineering works it required to overcome steep routes and other difficulties. Its construction involved extensive mountain cutting in some areas, while the rugged terrain in others dictated the construction of 174 large bridges, 186 small bridges and 224 tunnels, including 11 spiral tunnels. Unlike most early railway projects, construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway was funded by national taxes to avoid foreign investment and control. 

For more information, please refer to: 

UNESCO PAGE

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