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.

Echoes of the past: Golden-lustre ceramic bowl

The pictured golden-lustre ceramic bowl, which dates from the 7th century AH (13th–14th century CE), is made of a stone-paste (glass-paste) body. It is deep-bodied, with a flat rim, an elongated profile, and a tall, rounded, concave base. Decorative inscriptions adorn both its interior and exterior surfaces.

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).

Restoration begins at historic Seb castle in central Iran

TEHRAN - Restoration work has begun on the historic Seb castle in Abarkuh county in Iran’s central Yazd province, a local cultural heritage official said on Saturday, as part of efforts to preserve the region’s traditional adobe architecture.

Ancient Iranian wind towers inspire Italian designer for overheated cities

TEHRAN - An Italian designer is developing a concept for mobile wind towers inspired by Iran’s centuries-old wind catchers, locally named a Badgir, aiming to reduce urban heat by directing natural air flows into streets and public spaces affected by rising temperatures.

New reference work on Linear Elamite inscriptions published by international research team

TEHRAN – A comprehensive scholarly volume on Linear Elamite inscriptions and related cuneiform texts has recently been published, offering a detailed corpus and analysis of ancient Iranian writings from Susa and shedding new light on one of the earliest writing systems of the Iranian Plateau.

University of Tehran archaeologist warns against repeat of Jiroft civilization looting

TEHRAN – A University of Tehran archaeologist has warned of a rise in illegal excavations at archaeological sites in Iran’s Jiroft plain, urging authorities to take immediate action to prevent further damage to one of the country’s most significant ancient heritage areas.

Blue Shield markers being installed on ancient bridges in Lorestan

TEHRAN - Blue Shield emblems are being installed on historic bridges in the western province of Lorestan as part of efforts to protect cultural heritage sites during armed conflict, the provincial cultural heritage chief said.

Study points to Sasanian military control reaching Indian Ocean

TEHRAN - A comprehensive geochemical study of ancient transport containers from the Fulayj fort in Oman has provided compelling new evidence of extensive maritime trade networks linking the Iranian heartlands with the Arabian coast during the Late Sasanian and Early Islamic periods.

Kermanshah among West Asia’s oldest human settlement areas, researcher says

TEHRAN – Kermanshah is one of the oldest known areas of human settlement in the Iranian Plateau and West Asia, with archaeological evidence indicating human presence dating back as far as one million years, Iranian researcher and historian Mohsen Derekeh said on Monday.

7,500-year-old Tepe Sialk undergoes restoration work

TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have launched the second phase of restoration work at the Tepe Sialk archaeological site in Kashan following the completion of improvements to the site's entrance, a provincial cultural heritage official said on Sunday.

Ancient Espi Mazget up for restoration, tourism development by private sector

TEHRAN - Authorities in Iran's northern Gilan province plan to protect, restore and develop the historic Espi Mazget monument for tourism through a partnership with a private investor, a senior provincial official said during a visit to the site on Saturday.

Ilam to showcase historical heritage to Arbaeen pilgrims, official says

TEHRAN – Iran’s western province of Ilam will use the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage to introduce its historical monuments and ancient civilization to domestic and foreign pilgrims passing through the Mehran border crossing, the province’s cultural heritage chief said on Monday.

Ancient Alamut fortifications complete Iran’s architectural and defensive history, expert says

TEHRAN - The proposed UNESCO World Heritage nomination of the Cultural Landscape of Alamut and its related fortifications would complete the historical narrative of Iran’s architectural and defensive heritage, Iranian cultural heritage veteran Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti said on Sunday.

Prominent Iranian archaeologist Ismail Yaghmaei passes away at 84

TEHRAN – Ismail Yaghmaei (also known as Ehsan Yaghmaei), one of Iran’s renowned archaeologists and a veteran of the country’s cultural heritage, passed away on Sunday morning, at Pars Hospital in Tehran. He was 84.

Ancient Iranian goldsmithing in spotlight as 3,000-year-old earrings worn by actress spark heritage

TEHRAN – A pair of earrings incorporating approximately 3,000-year-old Iranian gold medallions has sparked international debate over the use of ancient cultural artifacts in contemporary fashion, drawing renewed attention to the sophistication of ancient Iranian jewelry making and raising questions about the ownership, preservation and ethical use of archaeological objects.

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.

Historical mihrab discovered at Pasargadae World Heritage site

TEHRAN - A historical mihrab has been discovered during restoration and conservation work at a caravanserai within the UNESCO-listed Pasargadae archaeological site in southern Iran.

Citizen donates three Iron Age artifacts to Iran’s Ilam cultural heritage authority

TEHRAN - A resident of Chavar county in western Iran has donated three historical artifacts from the Iron Age to the provincial cultural heritage authority in Ilam, the head of the organization said on Saturday.

Tchogha Zanbil, Iran’s first UNESCO World Heritage site

TEHRAN - Situated about 40 km southeast of UNESCO-listed Susa, Tchogha Zanbil preserves the remains of Dur-Untash, a religious city founded in the 13th century BC by the Elamite king Untash-Napirisha. At its center stands a monumental ziggurat that is regarded as one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in the world.

Wrestlers of the 7th century AH: When sport became eternal in an Ilkhanid luster tile

Hidden among the treasures of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is a remarkable fragment of medieval Iranian art: a six-pointed, star-shaped lusterware tile produced in Kashan during the Ilkhanid period (late 13th–early 14th century CE). Against a deep cobalt-blue ground, shimmering white and golden-brown luster decoration frames a dynamic wrestling match. At the center, two men are locked in combat. One has been forced to the ground while his opponent bends over him, controlling his arm in a grappling hold rendered with striking realism.

Shushtar’s World Heritage value lies in its engineering system, not individual structures: official

TEHRAN – The outstanding universal value of Iran’s UNESCO-listed Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System lies in the engineering knowledge and integrated water management system behind its construction rather than its individual bridges, dams or mills, the head of the World Heritage site said as the country marked the 17th anniversary of its inscription.

Isfahan unveils tourism roadmap, plans heritage restoration after recent damage

TEHRAN – Isfahan province has prepared a new tourism development roadmap, launched plans to revive historical corridors and begun restoring heritage sites damaged during recent US-Israeli airstrikes, Governor-general Mehdi Jamalinejad said on Monday.

French archaeologist cracks 4,000-year-old Elamite script from Iran

TEHRAN – French archaeologist François Desset has decoded the 4,000-year-old Linear Elamite writing system from ancient Iran, unlocking one of the last undeciphered scripts of the ancient Near East after years of research.

Official highlights Tirgan as key element of Iran's intangible cultural heritage

TEHRAN – The head of Iran's Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism has described the ancient festival of Tirgan as one of the country's most significant elements of intangible cultural heritage, saying it reflects enduring links between nature, mythology and Iranian society.