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Yesterday 17:41
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.
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2026-07-31 15:45
By Sahar Dadjoo
Destruction of Iran's cultural sites by Israel, US tantamount to destroying a civilization
Historian Touraj Daryaee says international law is nearly powerless against superpowers, but UNESCO status could deter future attacks
TEHRAN – Since US and Israeli strikes began in February, over 130 registered monuments and museums across Iran have sustained damage, from the Golestan Palace to historic quarters in Isfahan, Kordestan, and Lorestan. In an exclusive interview with Tehran Times, Touraj Daryaee, historian of ancient Iran and editor of Encyclopaedia Iranica, discusses the emotional and scholarly weight of watching millennia-old heritage damaged within weeks, the limits of international legal accountability, and what the destruction means for how Iran's history will be told and remembered.
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2026-07-31 15:45
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.
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2026-07-31 15:44
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.
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2026-07-29 17:35
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.
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2026-07-28 16:52
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.
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2026-07-27 17:35
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.
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2026-07-26 15:37
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.
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2026-07-26 14:12
UNESCO grants World Heritage status to Iran’s Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications
TEHRAN – Iran’s “Alamut Castle and Related Fortifications” has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, becoming the country’s 30th tangible cultural heritage property to receive the prestigious international designation.
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2026-07-24 18:17
Tehran, Seoul discuss roadmap for cultural, tourism cooperation at UNESCO meeting
TEHRAN - Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri and South Korea's Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young agreed on Friday to pursue closer cooperation in cultural heritage, tourism, handicrafts and creative industries during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 48th session of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in Busan.
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2026-07-22 16:23
UNESCO renews concern over damage to Golestan Palace in Busan session
TEHRAN – UNESCO has renewed concern over damage to Tehran's Golestan Palace caused by the shock wave and debris from nearby military strikes, as the protection of cultural heritage during armed conflict returned to the agenda of the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea.
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2026-07-22 16:23
UNESCO-listed Bisotun prepares to receive Arbaeen pilgrims, official says
TEHRAN – The UNESCO-listed Bisotun archaeological site has completed preparations to receive pilgrims travelling to Iraq for Arbaeen commemorations, with authorities planning to hold a handicrafts market along the pilgrimage route, the site’s executive director said on Wednesday.
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2026-07-21 19:59
30 Iranian NGOs, institutions call for intl. action to protect cultural heritage after war damage
TEHRAN - A coalition of 30 Iranian non-governmental organizations and cultural heritage institutions has called on international organizations, including UNESCO, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to take urgent action to protect Iran's cultural heritage following damage to historical sites during the recent military conflict involving Iran and the combined forces of the United States and the Israeli regime.
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2026-07-20 17:15
Oldest known photographs reveal how Persepolis has changed over time
TEHRAN - The oldest known photographs of Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, provide a rare visual record of the monument before modern archaeological excavations reshaped its appearance.
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2026-07-18 21:08
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.
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2026-07-17 16:44
Persian Garden: A masterpiece of water engineering, geometry and beauty
If Iranian architecture is regarded as the embodiment of wisdom in built form, the Persian Garden can be seen as the expression of Iranian thought in the relationship between humanity, nature and water.
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2026-07-17 16:43
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.
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2026-07-15 16:26
Minister calls municipalities key partners in tourism development, historical district restoration
TEHRAN - Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts on Tuesday said cooperation between the government and municipalities was essential for expanding tourism infrastructure and restoring historical urban districts.
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2026-07-14 16:43
By Sonia Shidrang, Assistant Professor at Shahid Beheshti University
Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley and Iran’s deep past on UNESCO World Heritage List
This week marks the first anniversary of a milestone that reshaped how the world sees Iran’s ancient past. On July 11, 2025, during the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, the Paleolithic Sites of the Khorramabad Valley were inscribed on the World Heritage List—Iran’s 29th such site, and its first ever dedicated to the Paleolithic period.
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2026-07-14 16:29
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.
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2026-07-12 17:04
Alamut cited as a historic evidence of political, cultural and engineering ingenuity in UNESCO
TEHRAN – Mohammad-Hassan Talebian, manager of the UNESCO nomination dossier for the Cultural Landscape of Alamout, said the site represents evidence of political, cultural and engineering ingenuity during a specific period of Iran’s history, as the country seeks inscription of the property on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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2026-07-12 17:03
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.
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2026-07-11 17:24
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.
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2026-07-10 16:32
Yazd governor-general links protection of historic fabric to sustainable tourism
TEHRAN – Yazd Governor-General Mohammadreza Babaei said on Thursday that preserving the historic fabric of the UNESCO-listed city of Yazd would be pursued alongside “identity-based economic development” and sustainable tourism initiatives.
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2026-07-10 16:32
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.
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2026-07-08 17:50
Restoration begins at UNESCO-listed Chehel Sotoun after blast damage
TEHRAN - Restoration work has begun on damaged sections of the UNESCO-listed Chehel Sotoun World Heritage site in Isfahan following blast damage sustained during the recent war with the US-Israeli regime, the site’s director said on Wednesday.
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2026-07-04 19:22
Intl. journalists visit damaged Golestan Palace in downtown Tehran
TEHRAN – On Friday, tens of international journalists, photographers, and television crews from various global media organizations visited Tehran's UNESCO World Heritage-listed Golestan Palace to observe sections of the historic complex damaged by a nearby missile strike and to document the ongoing restoration efforts.
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2026-07-03 18:29
Persepolis through the eyes of Iran’s martyred leader
TEHRAN – As Iran prepares to bid farewell to its martyred leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, one of the defining moments reflecting his vision of the country’s cultural identity has once again come into focus: his historic visit to the UNESCO-listed Persepolis in 1988, where he described the ancient site as a “valuable treasure” that must be safeguarded for future generations.
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2026-07-03 18:28
Researcher highlights Isfahan's enduring role in Ta’zieh heritage
TEHRAN - Iran's ritual dramatic art of Ta’zieh continues to thrive across the country, with central Isfahan province widely regarded as the nation's leading center for the centuries-old tradition, according to Iranian researcher and Ta’zieh scholar Esmaeil Mojallali.
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2026-07-01 20:10
By Afshin Majlesi
War, memory and the race to save a civilization
An interview with Dr. Jebrael Nokandeh, Director of the National Museum of Iran
TEHRAN – What happens when one of the world's oldest civilizations is confronted with the realities of modern warfare? How do museums prepare for conflict, protect irreplaceable artifacts, and respond when cultural institutions come under threat? And what lessons have museum professionals learned from navigating these extraordinary challenges?