TEHRAN -- Iran is preparing a new development and tourism program for Alamut following the historic region’s inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with the government describing the listing as the beginning of a broader effort to introduce the area to visitors in Iran and abroad.
Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri visited Alamut in Qazvin Province on Monday and said the government had defined at least 10 new initiatives for the development of the region. 
He said the UNESCO inscription marked the start of a new phase rather than the conclusion of efforts to preserve and promote Alamut.
The minister said the region should become a major tourism destination, while emphasizing that local residents would have a central role in protecting and developing the newly recognized heritage site. 
He called on young people and communities in Alamut to participate in safeguarding the area, describing local residents as its principal stakeholders.
Salehi-Amiri also stressed that Alamut should not be understood simply as a single historic castle. 
The UNESCO-listed property, Alamūt Castle and Related Fortifications, comprises Alamūt Castle and six associated fortifications — Lambesar, Navizaršāh, Šams Kelāyeh, Qosṭinlār, Širkūh and Ilān — spread across the rugged Alborz Mountains of Qazvin Province.
UNESCO describes Alamūt as the political, military and intellectual center of the Nezāri Ismaʿili movement from the late 11th century, highlighting the fortifications’ strategic organization and their relationship with the surrounding mountain landscape.
Iran’s inscription of the Alamut property at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, in July brought the country’s number of World Heritage properties to 30.