TEHRAN — Mehdi Khamoushi, director of the State Endowment and Charity Affairs Organization, announced the establishment of a joint working group with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage. He described the collaboration as a crucial step toward preserving and restoring Iran’s sacred sites and historical monuments.

Addressing a gathering of the two entities on Sunday, Khamoushi said that the interaction of the two institutions can pave the way for preserving the Iranian-Islamic identity and revitalizing Iran's spiritual and cultural heritage, ISNA reported.

“One of the most important issues is the holy sites, of which there are more than 8,000 scattered throughout the country. Many of these sites are architecturally and historically valuable, and their restoration and reconstruction must be coordinated with the Cultural Heritage Ministry,” he explained. 

He added that he endowed buildings, such as caravanserais and tombs, which have historical value, need restoration and enhanced maintenance according to the cultural heritage criteria. The purpose of this meeting is to examine the challenges in this field and establish a joint secretariat to follow up on previous approvals and agreements.”

He said that part of the resources is provided by the government, but the income of the holy sites must be preserved and managed. “The volume of operations is very high and we need to prioritize and enhance cooperation between the agencies.”

Referring to the high potential of the holy sites in ecotourism and religious tourism, he also called for using the capacity of donors, popularizing the projects, and holding knowledge-based exhibitions near the holy sites.

Also, Deputy Cultural Heritage Minister Ali Darabi appreciated the cooperation of State Endowment and Charity Affairs Organization and said: “State Endowment and Charity Affairs Organization has a pivotal role in the administrating and organizing the holy sites. Each shrine in any part of the country is the center of cultural, social, and religious development of that region and can make a significant contribution to the development of religious tourism.”

Pointing to the high capacity of Iran’s cultural heritage, he said there are over one million identified monuments across the country, of which 43,000 have been registered. 

He said that Iran is a land of historical and ancient monuments, such that a 63,000-year prehistoric site has been discovered in Khorramabad, Lorestan province. “Our country is rightfully a paradise for archaeologists.”

Darabi continued: “Currently, we have more than 8,000 certified holy monuments and 14,000 registered historical monuments, of which about 2,000 are in the possession of the Cultural Heritage Ministry. Given the limited financial resources, it is expected that the prioritization of restoration projects will be carried out in cooperation with the endowments in order to optimally utilize the joint capacities."

He added: “About 50 mosques are eligible for world registration, most of which are endowments. These capacities should be activated in the field of religious tourism. Also, 800 museums are currently active in the country, and our goal is to reach a thousand museums in the near future.”

Another speaker at the event, Hojatoleslam Gholamreza Adel, the deputy head of the Endowment Organization, presented a report on the two-year performance of the joint working group and said that in line with the implementation of the joint memorandum of understanding, about 50 administrative problems in the provinces have been resolved so far, and new programs with specific priorities are on the agenda. 

In the video conference section, the general directors of the provinces' endowments and cultural heritage presented a report on the progress of cooperation.

Hojatoleslam Reza Sadeghi, head of Yazd Endowments Department, said: “Yazd is a heritage city, and the change of use around the sites and endowments should be in a way that creates added value for the endowments. About 10 percent of the dilapidated houses in Yazd are endowments and need to be restored.”

Mohammad Rastegari, head of Yazd Cultural Heritage Department, also added that in most provinces, joint memorandums of understanding have been signed to protect the endowment buildings, and handicraft markets have been put into operation in cooperation with the endowments.

Hojatoleslam Mostafa Majidi, head of Qazvin Endowments Department, announced the implementation of the large tourism town project in an area of 500 hectares and said that this project is one of the largest tourism projects in the country. 

Hojatoleslam Mehdi Hosseini, head of Qazvin Cultural Heritage Department, also said that the joint memorandum of understanding has been drafted in 13 clauses, and good cooperation has been achieved in the restoration of holy sites and joint projects. 

Also, Head of Isfahan Endowments Department announced the signing of joint contracts for the restoration of caravanserais and historical mosques, saying that despite the reduction in government funds, the process of restoring the monuments has been facilitated with the follow-up efforts.

Amir Karamzadeh, head of Isfahan Cultural Heritage Department, also emphasized the need to provide funding for the restoration of Isfahan Bazaar and endowments, saying that many endowments lack income and need government assistance.

At the end of the meeting, the attendees emphasized the need for continued cooperation between the Endowment Organization and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the establishment of a joint national secretariat, and prioritization of restoration projects. The goal of this cooperation was to preserve the country's historical and religious identity, develop religious and cultural tourism, and benefit from the potential of endowments in the economic and social prosperity of the provinces.

KD