TEHRAN – UNESCO sites will be receiving additional care and maintenance in South Khorasan province, deputy provincial tourism said on Thursday.

Separate restoration projects have been formulated for Baladeh qanats of Ferdows and Akbarieh Garden of Birjand, which would bring more care to the World Heritage sites, Ali Shariatimanesh said. 

Talking about the expenditures, he noted a budget of 8.4 billion rials ($2 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) is allocated to channel through the restoration projects. 

Baladeh qanats of Ferdows is one of the eleven qanats registered on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2016. The historical importance and complex system of qanat, as well as their benefits for the ecosystem, were the main reasons for their registration.

Throughout the arid regions of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlements are supported by the ancient qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometers.

Qanat is a gently sloping underground channel with a series of vertical access shafts, used to transport water from an aquifer under a hill. Qanats create a reliable supply of water for human settlements and irrigation in hot, arid, and semi-arid climates.

The registered qanats are located in different provinces, of which Baladeh qanats of Ferdows was chosen for its complex water distribution method.

Akbarieh Garden is one of the nine gardens registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List under the title of Persian garden in 2011. 

The Persian garden profile also includes the gardens of Pasargad and Eram in Fars Province, Pahlevanpur and Dowlatabad in Yazd Province, Fin and Chehel Sotun in Isfahan Province, Abbasabad in Mazandaran Province, and Shahzadeh Mahan (also known as Shazdeh) in Kerman Province.

Located in eastern Iran, South Khorasan province is home to many historical and natural attractions such as Birjand Castle, Dragon Cave, Furg Citadel, and Polond Desert.

It is also known for its famous rugs as well as its saffron and barberry which are produced in almost all parts of the province.

ABU/AFM