Tangible Cultural Heritage in UNESCO

Tourist Attractions

Mahboobeh ZakerinJune 27, 2016
3 544

Visit Persepolis and Learn about Achaemenid Architecture

One of the best-known and glorious sites of the ancient world, Persepolis, is located in the plain of Marvdasht, about…
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Tourist Attractions

Mahboobeh ZakerinJune 15, 2016
4 478

What Do You Know about Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System?

Shushtar is a city in Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran. It’s situated at the foot of Zagros Mountains, about 90…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyFebruary 25, 2015
5 243

Tchogha Zanbil Temple, 1st Iranian Site Registered in UNESCO

The name Tchogha Zanbil isn’t a very understandable word in Persian either. Tchogha Means “hill” in Lurish language of Bakhtiary tribes in Iran. Zanbil…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyFebruary 12, 2015
2 299

Visit The Ancient City of Bam

The ancient city of Bam, a world heritage site registered in UNESCO’s list, has emerged at least at the time…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyFebruary 6, 2015
5 455

A Short Visit to Soltaniyeh Mausoleum

The ancient town of Soltaniyeh is located approximately 40 km west of Zanjan on the old road of Zanjan-Qazvin. Driving…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyJanuary 29, 2015
10 782

Bisotun, A World Heritage Site at Western Iran

This ancient archeological site is one of the most outstanding historic attractions of Iran. It has got its name from a relatively…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyJanuary 21, 2015
2 364

Shahr-e Sukhte, A World Heritage Site at South East Iran

Shahr-e Sukhte (literally translated as the Burned City) has also been spelled differently as Shahr-i Shokhta in various sources. It is…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyJanuary 10, 2013
2 620

Include Tabriz Bazaar in Your Tours to Iran

The Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex, a World Heritage Site since 2010, is one of the top tourist attractions of the…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyOctober 31, 2012
0 456

Visit Pasargadae & Tomb of Cyrus the Great

Pasargadae is a tangible cultural heritage of Iran listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. When you visit Pasargadae and…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyOctober 27, 2012
0 357

Visit Isfahan’s Imam Khomeini Square during Your Trip to Iran

When you arrive in Isfahan and begin to explore the city, the main highlight is the Imam Khomeini Square formerly…
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Tourist Attractions

Rahman MehrabyMarch 22, 2010
0 477

Kariz (Qanat) in Iran

Kariz (Qanat) is an ancient water provision technology inscribed in UNESCO’s List as an Iranian tangible cultural heritage. It can…
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Historic City of Yazd, a Living UNESCO Site
The historic city of Yazd is within the present city of Yazd surrounded by the neighborhoods emerging throughout history. It’s one of the most outstanding cities in the world where the houses are made of sun-dried bricks. Yazd has always been a proud collection of the most brilliant cultural heritage spots of the world. By watching the architecture of Yazd, we can understand the art of living, or, in other words, peaceful coexistence of human with the hostile environment and arid nature of the region. This art of living has developed manifestations and institutions in urbanization and architecture through hard work, perseverance and contentment of local people. Also, it must be mentioned that the historic city of Yazd is inscribed in UNESCO’s list as an Iranian Tangible Cultural Heritage Site. Old Neighborhoods in the Historic City of Yazd The historic city of Yazd is a conglomeration of several neighborhoods developed over time. They all consist of various buildings serving the needs of their inhabitants. Here we introduce them so that you can get a better picture. The old part of Yazd consists of several neighborhoods, which we will get acquainted with here: Fahadan Neighborhood of Yazd Fahadan Neighborhood is one …
Visit Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region in Iran
Fars is one of the most beautiful provinces in Iran, which has several monuments and tourist attractions. The province has several cities and villages which used to look different in ancient times. Sassanid archaeological landscape of Fars region in Iran are the tangible cultural heritage sites registered in UNESCO’s list. Throughout the history of Fars province, many powerful dynasties have ruled in central Iran including Elamites, Parthians, Achaemenids, Sassanids, etc and made it an important part of Iran’s history. However, Achaemenids and Sassanids were the main rulers of this region. During the reign of these dynasties, many historic structures were built which are considered as the most impressive attractions in Iran now. Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region, 400-Year-Old Capitals Archaeologists, researchers, and historians’ studies have shown the extraordinary position of this region in the history of Iran. Fars province has countless status in culture and history and was used as the capital of the Sassanid Empire for around 400 years. Sassanids have constructed the most magnificent buildings in this region, and the global statistics have shown that most historical places are recorded in this region. The Sassanid Empire is one of the most prominent periods of the history of …
Jame Mosque of Esfahan, An Exhibition of the Evolution of Islamic Architecture in Iran
Masjed-e Jāmé of Esfahan, also known as Jame Mosque of Esfahan (Friday Mosque) or Atiq mosque, is one of the best examples of religious and ritual architecture in Iran. It has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2012. This mosque has showcased the history of Islamic architecture in Iran for centuries. As a well-documented monument, this ancient building can provide archaeologists and history enthusiasts with helpful insights into a better understanding of the Islamic architecture in Iran. Masjed-e Jāmé of Esfahan could have been recognized as one of the best examples of Islamic architecture and has been used as a unique model in designing other mosques. Shabestāns (prayer halls and often underground spaces found in the traditional architecture of mosques) and beautiful stucco decorations, Iranian tile works, as well as calligraphy seen from any corner of the mosque, have revealed its uniqueness. History of Jame Mosque of Esfahan The mosque complex has evolved into its present condition through extended sections annexed during different historical periods. Therefore, this building cannot be attributed to a particular historical era. Archaeological excavations and historical evidence revealed that the mosque’s core structure dates back to pre-Islam Iran. It is said that …
Persian Gardens, World Human Heritage Properties to Visit
UNESCO has inscribed 9 Persian gardens as the tangible cultural heritage of Iranians in 2011 that have influenced garden planning from India to Spain. According to the written documents left from Greek historians, the tradition of planning and creating gardens of all sizes around buildings and inside the courtyard of houses go back to 3000 years ago. Such green areas are known as “Para daesa” (around the fort). The word Daes means structure and Pardis is Paradise. In other European languages, “Parades” refers to a surrounded and walled garden. These gardens follow an order and plan inspired by the universe and are in proportion to various climate conditions. They invite every passerby to stop and ponder in such earthly paradises. Persian Gardens, from Bass-Reliefs to Garden-Cities The hunting scene of Khosrow Parviz, the Sassanian king, in form of a “hunting-garden”, at Taq-e Bostan rock reliefs, are the most ancient pictorial evidence of Persian gardens. Of course, well-devised gardens planned based on geometric principles are even older than that and date back to Achaemenian era. Pasargadae is an example of such Persian gardens. The planning of such well-planned gardens developed further during Sassanian era, 4th to 7th centuries. Some more examples …
Visit Gonbad-e Qabus, The Tallest Tomb Tower in Iran
Gonbad-e Qabus is one of the most significant tomb towers in Iran and the tallest brick tower of its kind in the world. It is a tangible cultural heritage of Iran registered in UNESCO List as World Heritage Site. This beautiful tower belongs to the 10th century when Qabus, son of Voshmgir, the Ziarid king, was ruling in Iran. The tower structure is simple and made of fired bricks, yet amazing and eye-catching. There are different opinions about the function of Gonbad-e Qabus tower. Some believe that it has been a burial structure and the place where Qabus Ibn-e Voshmgir, Ziarid ruler of approximately 10th and 11th centuries in northern Iran. As archeologists have not found any corpses in the cellar, it is not possible to approve or disapprove this opinion. Based on the relations between Qabus and scientists, men of letter and astronomists, others believe that Qabus had planned to build this structure to use it as an observatory. These scholars refer to the historical sources where Qabus has ordered the construction of this building. Whatever the purpose of the construction is, Gonbad-e Qabus is at its glorious peak of ancient architecture and attracts the attention of the travelers who pass …