TEHRAN – A total of 14 historical and natural sites in the Iranian capital have recently been inscribed on the National Heritage List, IRNA reported.

Laleh Hotel in Lalehzar Street, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Ford Building, Qeitarieh Park and Melal Cultural Center are some of the new entries, Mostafa Pourali, a senior official with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said on Wednesday. 

Laleh Hotel in Lalehzar Street was built in 1945 in a street, which was known as Tehran Broadway in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s. The modern theatre scene started at six theater centers located at Lalehzar Street while it also had 16 cinema halls. Lalehzar aesthetic was a combination of Western architecture with national symbols and elements.

Pasteur Institute of Iran is a medical research center, which was established in 1920. It is considered as one of the oldest leading research and public health centers in Iran and West Asia. 

Melal Cultural Center is a Qajar-era (1789–1925) palace, while Qeitarieh Park was a garden belonged to one of the sisters of the Qajar king Nasser ad-Din Shah (1821-1900).

The first time Tehran is mentioned in historical accounts is in an 11th-century chronicle in which it is described as a small village north of Ray.

Ray, in which signs of settlement dates from 6000 BC, is often considered to be Tehran’s predecessor. It became the capital city of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century but later declined with factional strife between different neighborhoods and the Mongol invasion of 1220.

Tehran has many to offer its visitors including Golestan Palace, Grand Bazaar, Treasury of National Jewels, National Museum of Iran, Glass & Ceramic Museum, Masoudieh Palace, Sarkis Cathedral, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and Carpet Museum of Iran, to name a few.

ABU/MG