Among the world heritage sites in Iran, Persepolis attracted the most visitors during the Norouz holiday (March 20-April 1), according to Farhad Azizi, director of the Office for World Heritage Centers said.
“With 456,486 visitors during the 12-day holiday period, Persepolis (in Fars Province) was the most visited world heritage site in the country,” ILNA quoted Azizi as saying.
There are 19 historical sites and monuments in Iran which have been inscribed on UNESCO’s global heritage list. Among them, Eram Garden in Shiraz, Golestan Palace in Tehran, Pasargadae (which houses the tom of Cyrus the Great) in Fars, Naqsh-e-Jahan Square and Chehel-Sotoun in Isfahan, ancient city of Susa in Khuzestan Province, the Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchestan and Shushtar Hydraulic System in Khuzestan were the most visited sites after Persepolis, respectively.
Founded by Darius I in 518 BC, Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. A magnificent model of the Achaemenid-style of architecture, the ruins were declared a World Heritage Site in 1979.
