TEHRAN--Considering that the registration of Zandieh complex of Shiraz on the UNESCO World Heritage list is on the agenda of Fars Cultural Heritage Department, one of its biggest problems is Aseman Hotel, which has created visual distortion in the horizon of Zandieh complex, of which Karim Khan Citadel is perhaps the most important part.

Zandieh Complex is a memorial from Mohammad Karim Khan Zand (r.1751 to 1779), the founder of the Zand Dynasty, which has always been among the most visited historical sites in Fars province, IRNA wrote.

Although Shiraz is the most well-known tourist city in Iran among tourists due to its cultural and literary capital of ancient Iran and its provincial center with 13 World Heritage sites, none of the historical monuments of this city have been individually registered in UNESCO World Heritage List, and only Eram Garden has been included in this list as part of the Persian Gardens dossiers.

Currently,  Zandieh Complex has given Shiraz this opportunity to shine more and present itself to global tourism more prominently than before.

The Zandieh complex includes Karim Khan Citadel, Vakil Mosque and Bazaar, and of course the Divankhaneh Mansion and Naghareh Khaneh Square, all of which were built by Karim Khan Zand in alternating years, more than 220 years ago.

This historical complex, which is located around the Zandieh passage in Shiraz, has always been among the five most visited places by Iranian tourists during the peak summer and Nowruz travel times. 

Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi-Amiri, during his November 2024 visit to Shiraz, promised the development and world registration of the Zandieh complex. He said that Karim Khan Citadel in Shiraz is developing and moving towards global registration.

Also, Head of Fars Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department Sadeq Zare’ said that the global registration of the Zandieh Complex is one of the main priorities of the department, adding that Shiraz Municipality is also determined to bring this case to a conclusion. 

According to him, every historical heritage for world registration requires completing the dossier and then inviting UNESCO assessors to review its conditions. 

He said that currently, the manager of the global registration file for Zandieh Complex has been identified and notified by Cultural Heritage Ministry and is on verge of securing funding and concluding a contract, which is an important step in the progress of the file.

Zare’ continued that after this stage, a checklist related to the world registration of the complex must be prepared and presented, and basic map studies, documents and records of the restorations carried out and its prohibitions must also be completed. 

After these stages are done, he said, the assessors will be invited, and if there is any problem, it will be announced and resolved at that stage. 

He stated that the municipality has agreed to help bring this case to fruition, and continued that a meeting will soon be held with the participation of the country's officials for monument registration, the project manager, Fars Cultural Heritage officials, and Shiraz Mayor to reach an agreement in this regard.

One of the obstacles that has been repeatedly considered by lovers of Fars' cultural heritage as an obstacle to the global registration of Zandieh Complex is Aseman Hotel on Rudaki Street (behind Karim Khan Citadel), which is said to have destroyed the view of this historical citadel due to its height. Aseman Hotel stands tall with 18 floors near Karim Khan Citadel and, when we look at the citadel from three sides, it boasts this historical complex.

The construction of the initial skeleton of this hotel began in 2001 with six floors, but its height was increased in two stages and currently stands with 18 floors, visible above the citadel. 

In Spring of 2015, Supreme Council of Urban Planning and Architecture of Iran issued a permit to demolish the upper four floors of this hotel, which had increased its height without legal permits; but this order was never implemented.

KD