TEHRAN – A total of 80 historical buildings and aging structures, scattered across the northwestern province of West Azarbaijan has undergone some rehabilitation works, the provincial tourism chief has announced. 

As a part of the project, the historical monuments of the 22nd Bahman School and Dizaj Siavosh mansion are being restored in collaboration with the private sector, Jalil Jabari said on Tuesday. 

Both structures are planned to turn into museums after being fully restored, the official added. 

Several other buildings need urgent restoration, he noted. 

Around 1,700 properties have been registered as national heritage across the province, that their annual maintenance and care requires 200 billion rials ($4.7 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar), he explained. 

West Azarbaijan embraces a variety of lush natural sceneries, cultural heritage sites, and museums including the UNESCO sites of Takht-e Soleyman and Qareh Klise (St. Thaddeus Monastery), Teppe Hasanlu, and the ruined Bastam Citadel.

The region was home to several ancient civilizations. According to Britannica, it was conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC and was named Atropatene after one of Alexander’s generals, Atropates, who established a small kingdom there. Ultimately, the area returned to the Persian (Iranian) rule under the Sasanians in the 3rd century CE.

ABU/AFM