TEHRAN -- Currently, with prioritization of cultural heritage projects, the reactivation of stalled projects, and the focus on global registration commitments, a new path has been opened to preserve Yazd's historical identity and strengthen the city's cultural tourism.

The historical texture of Yazd, as a brick city which has registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, has faced the challenge of restoring and revitalizing various parts of the largest brick city in the world due to the halt and lack of funding over the past years, ILNA reported.

The historical texture of Yazd has faced challenges such as deterioration of buildings for years, which in addition to threatening the city's historical authenticity, had also slowed down the development of cultural tourism.

According to Seyyed Mohammad Rastegari, head  of Yazd Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, by reviewing the executive plans and prioritizing the key cultural heritage projects in the city of Yazd and the province, a series of restoration projects that had been stalled for years have been reactivated. The process can protect the valuable heritage of Yazd, pave the way for the sustainability of the historical texture and strengthen the city's position on the tourism map of the country and the world.

Rastegari announced the prioritization of important cultural heritage projects in the provincial center and the provincial counties based on the five-year plans of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts. “With appropriate planning and various credit sources, efforts have been made to re-implement projects that had been stalled for years.”

Referring to the commitments resulting from global registration of Yazd, he added: “These commitments are a priority in the province's medium and long-term plans, and their implementation is being pursued with seriousness.”

 In this regard, numerous trips have been made to the province by the Minister of Cultural Heritage, deputies, and general managers, and with the assistance of the governor-general  and provincial officials, numerous restoration projects have entered the implementation phase or have come out of stagnation.

Rastegari announced that one of the most important ongoing measures is the restoration and revival of the historical fence of Yazd, and said: “Yazd is one of the few historical cities in the country that has a valuable fence from various historical periods, especially Al-e Mozaffar era, with a length of about 4.7 kilometers. Part of this fence has been restored in recent years, and further, by selecting a specialized consultant, the precise determination of the route and boundary of the fence is on the agenda.”

KD