TEHRAN - Bastam, a tourism destination near Shahroud, has recently been added to Iran’s list of historical cities during the second conference of Iran’s historical cities held in Yazd.

The conference brought together representatives from 43 cities to discuss strategies for preserving and promoting urban heritage, according to organizers.

Bastam is one of 54 cities now registered as historical cities in Iran, officials said at the event.

The ancient city, located in north-central Iran near the Alborz Mountains, is known for monuments clustered around the tomb of Bayazid al-Bastami, a poet and mystic who died in c. 874 CE.

The town contains a mausoleum, a 12th-century minaret and mosque wall, a 1313 portal, and a 15th-century college. Nearby ruins include a mosque and cloister with stucco work.

Much of Bastam’s historic architecture was built under Mongol rulers Mahmud Ghazan (r. 1295–1304) and Oljeitu also known as Mohammad-e Khodabandeh (r.1304–1316).

AM