Iran Home to 19 UNESCO-Registered Sites [PIC]

[Blackmoon]

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran is home to 19 UNESCO-registered sites, including the ancient city of Bisotun and the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis.
Iranian plateau is replete with cultural heritage and historical monuments. These architectural remnants date back somewhere between an average 2000 years.

From the “Jiroft civilization” south of Iran, to the “Shahr-e Sukhteh” or the “Burnt City”, in the south east of the country,; to the “Choghazanbil” Zigurat, one of the rare few ziggurats or Step Pyramids, outside of Mesopotamian heartlands, all the way down to the magnificent Achaemenid palaces of Persepolis and regal tombs in Pasargade, near Shiraz, are all but a few examples of what the land of Persia has to offer, when it comes to ancient history.
Overall some 19 major archaeological sites in Iran have been globally registered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as World Heritage sites. At the moment, Iran stands 11th in the number of registered world heritage sites.

1- Persepolis, also known as Takht-e-Jamshid, was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Persepolis is situated 60 km northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province, Iran.

2-The Arg-e Bam was the largest adobe building in the world, located in Bam, a city in Kerman Province of southeastern Iran.

3-Naqsh-e Jahan Square, known as Imam Square, formerly known as Shah Square, is a square situated at the center of Isfahan city, Iran. Constructed between 1598 and 1629, it is now an important historical site.

4-The Tomb of Hafez, renowned 14th-century Persian poet, and its associated memorial hall, the Hafezieh, are two memorial structures erected in the northern edge of Shiraz, Iran.

5-The Mausoleum of Avicenna is a complex located at Avicenna Square, Hamadan, western Iran. Dedicated to the Iranian polymath Avicenna, the complex includes a library, a small museum, and a spindle-shaped tower inspired by the Ziyarid-era Kavus Tower.

6-Persian gardens

7-Behistun Inscription

8- Pasargadae

Iran's Historical Sites and Tourism Industry
Archaeologists estimate that modern Iran is home to over a million historical sites, places and zones. During the past centuries, over 150,000 of such sites have been located in different parts of the country.
Discoveries are under way for finding the rest of the historical sites and relics across the country. Since 1930, the year the first Ancient Monuments Protection Act was ratified in Iran, 32,000 historical sites have been registered in the country.

At the moment, Iran generates nearly USD 8 billion from tourism or its related sectors, which comparatively viewed, puts it at the 36th position worldwide. Of course, there are several reasons to this shortcoming: From the negativity of anti-Iran propaganda churned out by mainstream Western media on a daily basis to the under-development of Iran’s inland transportation system and hospitality industry, for which a decade of tough nuclear sanctions plus many more years of a general blockade can be partly blamed.
Right now, nearly 6% of Iran's GDP comes from the tourism sector and all the activities and procedures.
Nearly 30% of the amount comes from inbound tourism and the rest concerns visits by Iranians to various parts of the country.
http://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2016/09/08/1181648/iran-home-to-19-unesco-registered-sites

 

[cloud4000]

So much history in Iran: from the Persians to Alexander the Great. What a beautiful country. Hope to visit it one day once Iran-US relations normalize.

 

[Rukarl]

Iran is so rich in history that it is truly magnificent. Minus the fact Persia was the first superpower in the history of this planet, there are even older heritages dating back to 8000 years. Here is another registered site. It is a ziggurat i.e stepped pyramid called Chogha Zanbil, probably the best preserved one on the planet and was built by the ancient Iranic people called Elamites, it is around 3500-4000 years old:

This is what it would have looked like when intact:

By the way, the oldest ziggurats is also in Iran, it is called the Sialk ziggurat. It is 5000 years old and not as well preserved as the chogha zambil:

So much history in Iran: from the Persians to Alexander the Great. What a beautiful country. Hope to visit it one day once Iran-US relations normalize.

People are visiting Iran from all over the world, why wait? Go visit it now.

 

[cloud4000]

People are visiting Iran from all over the world, why wait? Go visit it now.

I'm a US citizen. Still not an easy place to travel to. Hopefully, I will get a chance sooner than later.

 

[Rukarl]

I'm a US citizen. Still not an easy place to travel to. Hopefully, I will get a chance sooner than later.

Bro, so many Americans have visited Iran in the last year alone. Iran despite its position is the most secure and safest nation in the region. Those whom you see get in trouble are Iranian dual nationals whom for one reason or the other pi$$ed off the authorities. But even then, the vast majority of dual nationals visit Iran regularly without any issues at all. Once you visit Iran once, you will probably fall in love with it, most people do!

 

[cloud4000]

Bro, so many Americans have visited Iran in the last year alone. Iran despite its position is the most secure and safest nation in the region. Those whom you see get in trouble are Iranian dual nationals whom for one reason or the other pi$$ed off the authorities. But even then, the vast majority of dual nationals visit Iran regularly without any issues at all. Once you visit Iran once, you will probably fall in love with it, most people do!

Thanks for the info, bro! Your comments have given me confidence to visit. Hope to go sometime next year.

 

[Aramagedon]

Iran is so rich in history that it is truly magnificent. Minus the fact Persia was the first superpower in the history of this planet, there are even older heritages dating back to 8000 years. Here is another registered site. It is a ziggurat i.e stepped pyramid called Chogha Zanbil, probably the best preserved one on the planet and was built by the ancient Iranic people called Elamites, it is around 3500-4000 years old:

This is what it would have looked like when intact:

By the way, the oldest ziggurats is also in Iran, it is called the Sialk ziggurat. It is 5000 years old and not as well preserved as the chogha zambil:

People are visiting Iran from all over the world, why wait? Go visit it now.

Dude you forgot 'Tepe Silkak' the oldest built Pyramid on the earth which is built by Iranians some 8000 years ago in center of Iran.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tepe_Sialk

Pyramids are built for the first time by our expert forefathers.

After Iranians, Mesopotamians were the second people who built them and after Mesopotamians Egyptian were the third people and built them some 4000 years ago which means 4000 years after Iranians built their first pyramid.

Our forefathers gifted so many things to the world such as qanats/kanals/(water) channels, pyramids, caravans (inn), tall buildings, architecture, etc..... Even the color 'Orange' is invented by Iranians for the first time! Today most of Europeans, Asians, Arabs, Africans and even Japanese use this name for that color! Pardis (heaven), Ferdoos, Paradise is invited by Iranians/Zoroasterians and is lent to all of Abrahamic and even some non-Abrahamic religions. Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) [father of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and 14 Infallibles] born in 'Ur' in South of Iran.

Quran, Surah al Ibrahim: When Ibrahim said, "My Lord, make this city [Makkah] secure and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols. (14 Infallibles) [14.35]
(for the ones who wants to become followers of Ahlulbayt and Shiite Muslims only this verse is enough.)

Ibrahim is an Iranian name which means "baradar, brother to all'', his father and his uncle were Iranians and had Iranian names. Azar, Tarokh
[Shahrokh, Mahrokh, Farrokh, Golrokh, Kianrokh etc] are pure Iranian names.

Some Iranian words:

baradar : brother
madar : mother
pethar : father
dokhtar : daughter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Persian_origin

I had created a thread about 'history of Iran since 12000 years ago' . Unfortunately it seems it's removed from servers of site after cyber attacks.

 

[mike2000 is back]

Bro, so many Americans have visited Iran in the last year alone. Iran despite its position is the most secure and safest nation in the region. Those whom you see get in trouble are Iranian dual nationals whom for one reason or the other pi$$ed off the authorities. But even then, the vast majority of dual nationals visit Iran regularly without any issues at all. Once you visit Iran once, you will probably fall in love with it, most people do!

I have been thinking about visiting Iran for a while now. But still haven't made up my mnd yet(partly due to some news I have been hearing about some weird strict laws there like outlawing some unusual haircuts style etc lol). But from what I have seen during online searches and heard from a friend of mine who has been there, Iran is a very beautiful country and is fairly safe and stable country and it's citizens seems to be quite welcoming.

However you are right, since I'm not a dual Iranian national it will probably be easier and safer for people like me to travel there. Not so about British national of Iranian origin(dual nationality) for some strange reason.

Foreign Office warns British-Iranians nationals of Detention Risk in Iran.

FCO amends travel advice as dual nationals Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Kamal Foroughi continue to be held in Tehran.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, pictured with her husband Richard and their child, has been held in Iran since April. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

Saeed Kamali Dehghan
Wednesday 20 July 2016 18.34 BST Last modified on Wednesday 20 August 2016 19.24


The British Foreign Office has updated its travel advice on Iran, warning its citizens, especially those with dual Iranian nationality, of a risk of being arbitrarily detained.

The British government relaxed its advice against all but essential travel to Iran in July 2015 after the landmark nuclear agreement. But a stalemate over the fate of at least two British-Iranians currently detained in Tehran appears to have led the FCO to amend its instructions, although it has not raised concerns to the same level as before the nuclear deal.

“British nationals – including dual British/Iranian nationals – face greater risks than nationals of many other countries,” reads the new advice, which was updated on Friday. “The security forces may be suspicious of people with British connections. The risks are likely to be higher for independent travellers or students than for people travelling as part of an organised tour or business people invited by the Iranian authorities or companies.”

The warning will be bad news for Iran as it struggles to strengthen economic ties with the UK and attract more foreign tourists. The ongoing detentions of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman held since April, and 76-year-old businessman Kamal Foroughi, a dual national in prison since May 2011, have undermined efforts by London and Tehran to improve relations.

Although Philip Hammond, then foreign secretary, reopened the British embassy in Tehran last year after a four-year hiatus, both sides have not yet upgraded ties to an ambassadorial level.

Theresa May raised concerns about several cases involving dual British-Iranian nationals during her phone call with Hassan Rouhani. Photograph: Neil Hall/PA


Iranian hardliners harbour deep suspicions of Britain, often invoking historical events, such as the 1953 MI6-engineered coup against Iran’s first democratically elected prime minister, to express doubts about British intentions today. Another factor is the operation of the BBC’s Persian service in London, which is loathed by the Iranian establishment but watched by millions of Iranians via illegal satellite dishes.

It is not clear why Iranian authorities are holding Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation. A string of arrests involving dual nationals – including others from the US, Canada and France – has cast a shadow over Iran’s readiness to engage with the outside world since the nuclear deal.

Those arrests were mainly carried out by the powerful Revolutionary Guards, which act independently of president Hassan Rouhani’s administration. Some believe that the conservative-dominated Guards are seeking to undermine the international efforts of the moderate Rouhani.

Iranian protesters climb over the gate of the British embassy in Tehran November 29, 2011. Britain reopened it's embassy in Iran last year nearly four years after protesters ransacked the elegant ambassadorial residence and burned the British flag PHOTO: REUTERS

Others say the arrests are part of Iranian attempts to make deals with the countries where the dual nationals have come from. This theory has been reinforced by January’s prisoner swap between Iran and the US, in which a group of Iranian-Americans held in the country were released, notably the Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband, Richard Ratcliffe, told the Guardian that there were indications that Iran, or at least the Revolutionary Guards, were considering a prisoner swap with the UK. It is not clear how many Iranian nationals are held in the UK for crimes such as violating sanctions regulations.

“The [recent family] meeting was held in the presence of Nazani's senior interrogator " ” Ratcliffe said. “There was a renewed message for me. The message was … that I should do whatever I can to convince the British government to agree to a transfer. If they accept that, then Nazanin’s case will not stay in court long and will be finished soon.”

Foroughi’s son, Kamran, said there were “rumours that Iran wants a deal for its dual-citizen prisoners, including my 76-year-old dad”.

The FCO’s new advice reiterates that Iran does not recognise dual nationality, thus depriving such citizens of consular access while in custody. It also says that subsequent judicial process in Iran “falls below international standards”.

“There’s a risk that British nationals and British/Iranian dual nationals could be arbitrarily detained in Iran,” the advice reads. “Any behaviour that doesn’t have an obvious explanation can put you at risk, no matter how innocent you believe it to be. This may include travel off the beaten track, being present near crowds or sensitive sites, having contact with Iranians who are of interest to the authorities, taking photographs (except in major tourist sites), or behaviour that could be perceived as contrary to official Iranian interpretations of Islam.”

Last week, as Iran and the west marked one year since the nuclear agreement, the UK’s new foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, said the occasion “reminds us of the historic diplomatic breakthrough in Vienna that has made the world a safer place and is bringing real benefits to the people of Iran”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/i...h-iranian-nationals-of-detention-risk-in-iran

Hopefully our nationals of Iranian descent will soon be released so both countries can fully resume relations for a Win-Win cooperation. Emotional outbursts should be set aside. Both nations have much to gain by cooperation than unnecessary conflict.