The Cultural Heritage Association of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province, which ceased to operate 10 years ago, resumed activity on June 24.
Quoting the cultural heritage deputy of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, Mohammad Hassan Talebian, IRNA reports that plans to revive the association were set in motion when President Hassan Rouhani was voted into office.
The association, which was established in 1994 and is Iran’s 16th cultural heritage association, aims to raise funds and employ enthusiasts to conduct studies and help protect and restore cultural heritage, as well as organize educational activities.
When the association was dissolved in 2005, it had 16,000 members and had significantly reduced smuggling of valuable artifacts, Talebian said.
Iran’s cultural heritage associations are headed by the governor general of each province, with the head of the provincial cultural heritage department second-in-command. Each association’s advisory board includes senior officials of provincial departments of environment, roada and urban development, education and culture, among others.
