More than 400 historical sites and monuments across the country are being renovated, thanks to a joint effort between the public and private sectors.
“Some 170 billion rials ($ 5 million) have been allocated to these projects,” said Mohammad Hassan Talebiyan, the cultural heritage deputy at Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, Borna News Agency reported.
Speaking to reporters during his visit to Salar Mohtasham Castle in Khomein, Markazi Province, Talebiyan said over a million structures of cultural and historical significance are housed in Iran, but fewer than 32,000 sites have been inscribed on the National Heritage List.
The official said the government has approved 1,100 billion rials ($32.7 million) for the restoration of historical sites in the current Iranian year (ending March 19, 2016).
Museum of Petroglyphs
Accompanying Talebiyan was Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, the head of the provincial cultural heritage department.
Hosseini said Teymareh, an area between Khomein and Golpayegan, has 21,000 petroglyphs that bring researchers from all over the world.
He said a memorandum of understanding has been signed with Khomein Azad University to set up a museum of petroglyphs at the university.
“The museum is expected to be established by March 2016,” he said.
Hosseini said Khomein hosts over 5,000 tourists every year and called for more projects for developing tourism infrastructure.
