TEHRAN - A senior Iranian lawmaker on Thursday criticized what he called the neglect of Khuzestan province’s key tourism assets, saying inadequate funding has prevented development of the historical cities of Dezful, Susa and Shushtar.

Abbas Papizadeh, a member of parliament from Dezful and a member of the parliament’s presiding board, said the three cities form a civilizational “golden triangle” with major historical, cultural and tourism potential that has not been properly used at either provincial or national levels.

Speaking at a meeting of Khuzestan’s administrative council in Dezful, attended by Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts, Papizadeh said better use of the region’s tourism capacity could boost employment and economic development in the province.

He criticized what he described as the weakest budget allocations being directed to the cultural heritage and tourism sectors in Khuzestan, according to IRNA.

“Funding allocated to Khuzestan’s cultural heritage is inadequate and must be increased from available national resources,” Papizadeh said.

He said sustained funding over a five-year period for the protection and maintenance of Khuzestan’s historical sites could help preserve them for decades to come.

Papizadeh also criticized the limited budget allocated to Dezful’s cultural heritage sector, saying the city was one of Khuzestan’s main tourism hubs and questioning where heritage funding was being spent if not in such areas.

Dezful has consistently ranked as Khuzestan’s top tourism destination in recent years, he said, citing its wide range of historical and natural attractions.

In addition, Papizadeh warned that parts of the ancient Dezful bridge, one of Iran’s oldest active bridges, could collapse if urgent structural reinforcement work is not carried out, despite previous restoration efforts.

He also said the ancient city of Jundishapur, located near Dezful and dating back about 1,800 years, has not received sufficient attention despite being regarded by some historians as the world’s first university city.

The MP then called for official recognition in Iran to be revised to acknowledge Jundishapur aka Gundeshapur as the country’s earliest center of higher learning, rather than dating the origin of universities solely to the founding of Tehran University about 80 years ago.

He further disapproved what he described as neglect of Dezful’s historic urban fabric, saying historic houses were collapsing on a weekly basis due to a lack of funding and protection.

According to Papizadeh, Dezful lacks a central museum despite its rich archaeological sites, leaving the city without adequate facilities to house and display excavated artefacts.

Khuzestan province is home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites: Susa, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements; the ancient hydraulic system of Shushtar; and the ziggurat of Tchogha Zanbil.

AM