TEHRAN - Manouchehr Habibi, the governor-general of Iran’s Kermanshah province, has said that Iran and Iraq can broaden cooperation on shared Sassanian heritage sites through joint cultural and tourism projects linked to the proposed Sassanian historical route extending from western Iran into eastern Iraq.

Habibi made the remarks on Wednesday in Kermanshah during a meeting with Farhad Azizi, director general of national and World Heritage bases at Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

He said the route includes major historical sites such as the Anahita Temple, Taq-e Bostan, and Sassanian monuments in Qasr-e Shirin, extending toward Iraq’s Khanaqin.

“Kermanshah and Diyala, in addition to their cooperation on Arbaeen and religious programs, can define joint projects in the fields of cultural heritage and tourism,” Habibi said. “The historical extension of the Sassanian route from Qasr-e Shirin to Khanaqin provides a suitable basis for such cooperation.”

Habibi said officials in Iraq’s Diyala province had expressed interest in implementing joint initiatives with Kermanshah during his recent visit to Iraq.

He added that presenting the historical sites as a unified corridor could strengthen heritage protection, support tourism development and increase visits by domestic and international tourists.

The governor said preparations for the route’s World Heritage nomination should proceed under a coordinated program, noting that the historical and cultural infrastructure already exists and does not require starting a new project from the beginning.

He announced the formation of a special working group to oversee the organization and World Heritage registration of the Sassanian route, with representatives from the governor’s office, the provincial cultural heritage department, local governors, mayors and other relevant agencies.

The first meeting of the group should be held as soon as possible to define responsibilities, study phases, funding requirements and implementation schedules, he said.

The Sassanian period holds a central place in Iranian history, and its architecture and urban planning influenced later Islamic artistic and architectural traditions. In 2018, UNESCO inscribed the Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region in southern Iran on the World Heritage List. The property includes eight archaeological sites in the Firuzabad, Bishapur and Sarvestan areas.

AM