TEHRAN -- Iran is preparing to strengthen protection of its vast archaeological and historical heritage by recruiting 1,300 new personnel for the country’s Cultural Heritage Protection Unit.
Ayat Ahmadi, commander of the unit, said Iran has around one million identified historical and archaeological sites, of which more than 43,000 have been registered on the national heritage list and 30 are recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage sites.
Among the country’s internationally recognized sites are Persepolis, Chogha Zanbil, Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Bam Citadel, Pasargadae, the Soltaniyeh Dome, the Bisotun complex, the Armenian Monastic Ensembles, the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, Tabriz Bazaar, the Golestan Palace and the Iranian Garden.
The protection unit currently operates through 420 posts across the country, with about 2,500 personnel, including 500 conscripts. Ahmadi said the force remains inadequate given the geographic spread and sheer number of sites under its responsibility.
The government has now authorized the recruitment of 1,300 additional personnel, a move officials hope will strengthen protection of a major national asset.
The scale of Iran’s heritage is particularly visible in Ilam, a western province with an archaeological history stretching back around 11,000 years. Some 3,000 historical sites have been identified there, with 936 registered nationally.
More than 5,000 historical objects are also held in Ilam’s museums and heritage centers. The province has museums dedicated to anthropology, archaeology and the history of agriculture, alongside a wider collection of historical, natural and cultural attractions.
Of the 936 nationally registered sites in Ilam, 737 are historical, 24 represent intangible heritage, six are natural sites and seven are associated with locations linked to the Iran-Iraq war.