Iran allots $2.4m to restore overseas cultural heritage sites

TEHRAN – Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization has allocated 90 billion rials (around $2.4 million) to conserve some of its cultural heritage sites that are scattered across the globe.

Private investments in cultural heritage restoration surge

TEHRAN – The sum of private investments in restoration of cultural heritage structures have witnessed a staggering 449% rise over the past four years compared to the previous records.

ICCROM expertise to help Iran preserve historical sites

TEHRAN – Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization aims to cement collaboration with the International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), in a bid to accelerate preservation of numerous historical sites scattered across the country.

National Garden’s facade restored to former glory

TEHRAN – The gorgeous facade of the National Garden, a historical compound in downtown Tehran, underwent restoration work, Mehr news agency reported on Tuesday.

By Erik Solheim and Gary Lewis

A resurrection in the Middle East: Life has returned to a dying salt lake in northwest Iran

Lake Urmia was once the second largest saltwater lake in the world. But years of man-made disruption — from 60 years of dam building to the massive overuse of feeder rivers — has diverted the natural flow of sweet water from the surrounding basin into the salty lake.

Restoration of Sassanid-era Qa’leh Dokhtar castle projected

TEHRAN – The ancient Qa’leh Dokhtar castle in the southeastern province of Kerman is projected to undergo restoration.

Budget deficit could do irreparable damage to Lake Urmia

TEHRAN — Officials in charge of Lake Urmia restoration program have said the government has not allocated budget to the project in the next Iranian calendar year (March 2017-March 2018) and this could do irreparable damage to the lake’s restoration program.

Govt. allots $205m to Lake Urmia restoration

TEHRAN — The cabinet of ministers has allocated some 8.2 trillion rials (nearly $205 million) to Lake Urmia restoration projects, IRIB reported on Wednesday.

By Farnaz Heidari

When we can say a wetland is dead?

Wetlands include salt marshes, swamps, bogs, prairie potholes and vernal pools (shallow depressions that hold water at certain times of the year). Their common feature is that they are saturated with water seasonally and therefore have a particular type of vegetation and soil.

In focus: Historical Vakil Mosque undergoing restoration

An artisan atop a scaffold restores portions of the floral tilework that embellishes the facade of the Vakil Mosque in Shiraz, southern Iran on January 16, 2017.

By Farnaz Heidari

‘Eden Again’, a project to promote the restoration of the Mesopotamian Marshlands

Lands covered temporarily or permanently by water (except for lakes, reservoirs, and streams) and located away from coastal areas are called inland wetlands. They include marshes, prairie potholes (depressions carved out by glaciers), swamps (dominated by trees and shrubs), mud flats, flood-plains, bogs (rain-fed, peat-rich areas), wet meadows, and the wet arctic tundra in summer. Some wetlands are huge, others are small.

‘I’m Lake Urmia’ campaign seeking international support

TEHRAN — The “I’m Lake Urmia” hashtag is a newly initiated campaign spearheaded by the public aims to collect one million signatures to push the United Nation to take serious measures to restore the lake.