A bill to support cultural heritage security personnel has been submitted to the parliament, said a senior official at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization.
Jointly prepared by cultural heritage experts and ICHHTO's protection unit, "the bill aims to equip guards at historical and cultural sites with modern security tools, including digital monitoring systems and state-of-the-art defense equipment", Brigadier General Amir Rahmatollahi, the head of protection unit, was quoted as saying by IRNA.
The official said heritage security forces are licensed and authorized to use guns.
"Therefore, they should be armed with the latest equipment to ensure quality protection of Iran's cultural heritage sites," he said. Rahmatollahi added that conservation of cultural heritage sites, which are among the country’s most valuable possessions, is a “top priority of ICHHTO and the protection unit is committed to fulfill the task”.
Presently, there are 32,000 cultural heritage monuments registered in the country.
In recent months Iran has increased its efforts to ensure the safety of tourists in popular locations and improve the protection of cultural heritage sites, especially those inscribed on the World Heritage List.
Iranian officials and advocates of developing the tourism industry tout the country's security, especially when compared to its neighbors, as a selling point.
Local officials in various cities have taken measures to ensure the safety of foreign tourists.
