By Afshin Majlesi

Tehran municipality official highlights restoration of war-damaged heritage sites

TEHRAN – Ali Shamsipour, head of the Urban Research and Planning Center of Tehran Municipality, has highlighted plans and ongoing efforts to restore heritage sites damaged during the recent war involving the United States and the Israeli regime.

Iran has 58 sites on UNESCO tentative list, heritage official says

TEHRAN - Iran currently has 58 cultural and natural properties and heritage collections on the UNESCO Tentative List, according to the director general of registration of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

Four Iranian historic water structures selected for global irrigation heritage recognition

TEHRAN - Four historic Iranian water and irrigation structures -- Si-o-se-pol in Isfahan, Band-e Amir in Fars, the Shadorvan Grand Weir in Khuzestan and the historic hydraulic structures of Siraf in Bushehr -- have been selected for recognition under the World Heritage Irrigation Structures (WHIS) program of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID).

Centuries-old windmills in Tabas-e Masina undergo restoration

TEHRAN - A new phase of restoration work has begun at the historical windmills that are located in Tabas-e Masina of South Khorasan province, with funding allocated from national budgets, a local cultural heritage official said on Saturday.

Sistan-Baluchestan advances UNESCO bid for historic Asbads

TEHRAN – Iran’s Sistan-Baluchestan is stepping up efforts to secure UNESCO World Heritage status for its historic Asbads, with officials planning a dedicated task force to strengthen the nomination dossier and highlight the province’s rich historical and cultural heritage.

Isfahan heritage records undergo digital preservation

TEHRAN - Isfahan’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department has begun digitizing around 2,000 documents and records held by the province’s cultural heritage documentation center, an official said on Saturday.

UNESCO-listed Soltaniyeh to undergo restoration

TEHRAN – Restoration work on the interior of the UNESCO-listed Soltaniyeh dome in northwestern Iran will begin soon after a contractor is selected in the coming days, a provincial cultural heritage official said.

UNESCO committee approves conservation report for Iran's Hegmataneh

TEHRAN – The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has approved Iran's conservation report for the World Heritage site of Hegmataneh, confirming that the site's protection, management and restoration measures comply with the committee's requirements, provincial heritage officials said on Wednesday.

HEGTA chief highlights Ardabil’s potential as a storytelling destination

TEHRAN – Alireza Tabesh, chief executive of the Tourism Group of the Social Security Organization (HEGTA), has described Ardabil as a destination that needs to be introduced through storytelling, saying the province’s rich historical, cultural, natural and spiritual capacities have yet to be presented to visitors as a coherent tourism experience.

Iran, Italy to cooperate on restoring ancient gateway near Persepolis for site museum

TEHRAN - Cultural heritage authorities are moving ahead with plans to convert the ancient Tall-e Ajori archaeological site near Persepolis into a site museum, following the completion of archaeological excavations and the launch of a restoration project in cooperation with Italian experts.

VP calls cultural heritage key to national unity, soft power

TEHRAN – Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref on Thursday described the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts as the country's "ministry of defending civilization and soft victories," saying Iran's cultural heritage remains one of the country's strongest sources of national unity and international influence.

Iran preparing three new UNESCO World Heritage nominations after Alamut listing

TEHRAN — Iran will pursue three new nominations for UNESCO World Heritage inscription next year following the successful listing of Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri said.

Lut Desert offers untapped potential for science, geotourism, experts say

TEHRAN – Iran’s Lut Desert, one of the hottest places on Earth and a UNESCO World Heritage site, holds significant potential for scientific research, education and nature-based tourism, researchers said at a conference marking the 10th anniversary of the desert’s inscription on the World Heritage list.

Tehran, Seoul explore closer heritage cooperation

TEHRAN - Iran has proposed establishing a joint task force with South Korea on cultural heritage restoration, conservation and digital documentation following the inscription of Iran's “Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications” on UNESCO's World Heritage List, Iranian officials said during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan.

UNESCO-listed Alamut reflects Iran’s military architecture, enduring cultural legacy: expert

TEHRAN – The recent inscription of Iran’s “Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications” on UNESCO’s World Heritage list recognizes the site’s outstanding military architecture, historical significance and continuing cultural legacy, veteran Iranian archaeologist Rajab-Ali Labaf-Khaniki said.

Iran proposes UNESCO developing intl. framework to safeguard scientists

TEHRAN – Minister of Science, Research and Technology Hossein Simaei-Sarraf has delivered a lecture at the 2026 global conference on the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development, proposing that UNESCO member states establish an international framework to protect scientists, universities, and research institutions against military attacks.

Research suggests Alamut Castle's role extended beyond military functions

TEHRAN – The ancient Alamut Castle [and its satellite forts and defensive structures], long known primarily as a political and military stronghold of the Nizari Ismaili state, may also have served as a center for preserving and producing scientific knowledge, the head of the library at the Center for Documents of the Great Islamic Encyclopedia said.

Iran, Iraq can expand cooperation on shared Sassanian heritage sites: official

TEHRAN - Manouchehr Habibi, the governor-general of Iran’s Kermanshah province, has said that Iran and Iraq can broaden cooperation on shared Sassanian heritage sites through joint cultural and tourism projects linked to the proposed Sassanian historical route extending from western Iran into eastern Iraq.

Restoration work resumes at Persepolis after funding allocated

TEHRAN - Restoration workshops have resumed operations at the UNESCO-listed Persepolis complex after funds were allocated for conservation work, the site’s director said.