Kerman Heritage Sites Ceded to Private Sector

Two heritage sites in the southeastern province of Kerman, owned by the Revitalization and Utilization Fund for Historical Places (known by its Persian acronym Saabta), were ceded to the private sector via auction late last week, said a top heritage official.

Speaking to the Persian daily Donya-e-Eqtesad, Mahmoud Vafaei, the head of the provincial office of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism organization, announced that Aminian Mansion and Vakil Caravansary have been ceded to the private sector through a contract for restoration, maintenance and operation.  Aminian Mansion, a Qajarid-era building, was inscribed on the National Cultural Heritage List in 2003 and Vakil Caravansary, built in 1908, is considered Iran's largest caravansary.

The buildings are planned to be used for hosting tourists and contributing to tourism development.

Saabta aims to cede 100 buildings to the private sector every year for restoration, which means 1,084 buildings will be ready for use by the end of the 2025 Vision Plan.

Officials hope to compensate for Iran's woefully underdeveloped hotel sector by increasing the sector's capacity to host tourists by restoring old mansions and turning them into lodging facilities.

A country with a rich history, Iran is home to a large number of old mansions and buildings that can contribute to its nascent tourism industry if restored and managed properly.