TEHRAN - A total of eight natural properties including trees, a spring, and a salt lake in Isfahan province have been inscribed on the national heritage list.

The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism declared the inscriptions on Monday in a letter to the governor-general of the central province.

Old plane, juniper, walnut, elm, and mulberry trees as well as a salt lake and a water spring across the province were added to the prestigious list, IRNA reported.

Soaked in a rich history and culture, Isfahan was once a crossroads of international trade and diplomacy in Iran. Now, it is one of the top tourist destinations of the country for good reasons. The ancient city is filled with many architectural wonders such as unmatched Islamic buildings, bazaars, museums, Persian gardens, and tree-lined boulevards. It’s a city for walking, getting lost in its mazing bazaars, dozing in beautiful gardens, and meeting people.

The city has long been nicknamed as Nesf-e-Jahan which is translated into “half the world”; meaning seeing it is relevant to see the whole world. In its heyday, it was also one of the largest cities in the region with a population of nearly one million.

Having an opulent tourist circuit with 24 UNESCO World Heritage sites, of which the vast Hyrcanian Forest and Lut Desert are among the natural properties, Iran seeks to acquire a greater share of the global tourism industry by 2025.

ABU/AFM