List of World Heritage Sites in Iran
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Iran accepted the convention on 26 February 1975, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2019, twenty-four sites in Iran are included.
The first three sites in Iran, Meidan Emam, Isfahan, Persepolis and Tchogha Zanbil, were inscribed on the list at the 3rd Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Paris, France in 1979. They remained the Islamic Republic's only listed properties until 2003, when Takht-e Soleyman was added to the list. The latest addition was the Hyrcanian forests, inscribed in 2019.
In addition to its inscribed sites, Iran also lists more than 50 properties on its tentative list.
World Heritage Sites
Site | Image | Location | Criteria | Area ha | Year | Description |
Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran | West Azerbaijan Province | Cultural: | 2008 | |||
Bam and its Cultural Landscape | Kerman Province | Cultural: | — | 2004 | ||
Bisotun | Kermanshah Province | Cultural: | 2006 | |||
Cultural Landscape of Maymand | Kerman Province | Cultural: | 2015 | |||
Gonbad-e Qābus | Golestan Province | Cultural: | 2012 | |||
Golestan Palace | Tehran | Cultural: | 2013 | |||
Lut Desert | Kerman and Sistan and Baluchestan Provinces | Natural: | 2016 | |||
The Ensemble of Historical Sassanian Cities in Fars Province | Fars Province | Cultural: | 2018 | |||
Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan | Isfahan, Isfahan Province | Cultural: | 2012 | |||
Naqsh-e Jahan Square | Isfahan, Isfahan Province | Cultural: | — | 1979 | ||
Pasargadae | Fars Province | Cultural: | 2004 | |||
Persepolis | Fars Province | Cultural: | 1979 | |||
Shahr-e Sukhteh | Sistan and Baluchestan Province | Cultural: | 2014 | |||
Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil | Ardabil Province | Cultural: | 2010 | |||
Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System | Khuzestan Province | Cultural: | 2009 | |||
Soltaniyeh | Zanjan Province | Cultural: | 2005 | |||
Susa | Khuzestan Province | Cultural: | 2015 | |||
Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex | East Azerbaijan Province | Cultural: | 2010 | |||
Takht-e Soleyman | West Azerbaijan Province | Cultural: | 2003 | |||
Tchogha Zanbil | Khuzestan Province | Cultural: | — | 1979 | ||
The Persian Garden | Many Provinces | Cultural: | 2011 | |||
Persian Qanat | Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, Yazd, Kerman, Markazi and Isfahan Provinces | Cultural: | — | 2016 | ||
Historic City of Yazd | Yazd, Yazd Province | Cultural: | 2017 | |||
Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests | Golestan, Mazandaran and Gilan Provinces | Natural: | 2019 | Hyrcanian forest covered some parts of Three provinces of Iran including: Golestan Province: The entirety of the southern and southwestern areas as well as parts of the eastern regions of the Gorgan plain is covered with Hyrcanian forest, totaling an area. |
Tentative list
In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage list, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage list are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. As of February 2018, Iran lists fifty-six properties on its tentative list:Name | Image | Location | Category Criteria Reference | Date |
Alisadr Cave | Hamadan Province | Natural | 09/08/2007 | |
Arasbaran Protected Area | Azerbaijan Province | Natural | 09/08/2007 | |
Asbads of Iran | Khurasan-e Razavi, Sistan and Balochestan | Cultural | 02/02/2017 | |
Bastam and Kharghan | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | ||
Bazaar of Qaisariye in Laar | Laar, Fars Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Cultural Landscape of Alamout | Village of Alamout, Qazvin | Mixed | 09/08/2007 | |
Damavand | Mazandaran Province | Natural | 05/02/2008 | |
Firuzabad Ensemble | Firuzabad, Fars | Cultural | 22/05/1997 | |
Ghaznavi- Seljukian Axis in Khorasan | Khorasan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Hamoun Lake | Sistan and Baluchistan Province | Natural | 05/02/2008 | |
Harra Protected Area | Hormozgan Province | Natural | 05/02/2008 | |
Hegmataneh | Hamadan Province | Cultural | 05/02/2008 | |
Historic ensemble of Qasr-e Shirin | Qasr-e Shrin, Kermanshah Province | Cultural | 22/05/1997 | |
Historic Monument of Kangavar | Kangavar, Kermanshah Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Historical Ensemble of Qasr-e Shirin | Qasr-e Shirin, Kermanshah Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Imam Reza Holy Complex | Mashhad, Khurasan-e Razavi Province | Cultural | 02/02/2017 | |
Industrial Heritage of textile in the central Plateau of Iran | Isfahan, Yazd and Kerman Provinces | Cultural | 02/02/2017 | |
Jame' Mosque of Isfahan | Isfahan Province | Cultural | 22/05/1997 | |
Jiroft | Kerman Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Kaboud Mosque | Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Kerman Historical-Cultural Structure | Kerman Province | Cultural | 05/02/2008 | |
Khabr National Park and Ruchun Wildlife Refuge | Kerman Province | Natural | 09/08/2007 | |
Khorramabad Valley | Khorramabad, Luristan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Kuh-e Khuaja | Zabol, Sistan and Baluchistan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Nasqsh-e Rostam and Naqsh-e Rajab | Marvdasht, Fars Province | Cultural | 22/05/1997 | |
Natural-Historical Complex / Cave of Karaftoo | Kurdistan Province | Mixed | 02/02/2017 | |
Persepolis and other relevant buildings | Fars Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Persian Caravanserai | Khurasan-e Razavi, Isfahan and Yazd Provinces | Cultural | 02/02/2017 | |
Qeshm Island | Hormozgan province | Natural | 09/08/2007 | |
Sabalan | Ardabil Province | Natural | 09/08/2007 | |
Salt Domes of Iran | Fars Province, Bushehr, Hormozgan, Qom and Zanjan | Natural | 02/02/2017 | |
Shush | 100 km south of Ahvaz, Khuzestan province | Cultural | 22/05/1997 | |
Silk Route | Khorasan Province | Cultural | 05/02/2008 | |
Tape Sialk | Isfahan Province | Cultural | 22/05/1997 | |
Taq-e Bostan | Kermanshah, Kermanshah Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Collection of Historical Bridges | Lorestan Province | Cultural | 05/02/2008 | |
The Complex of Izadkhast | Fars Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Cultural Landscape of Uramanat | Uramanat Village, Kurdistan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Cultural-Natural Landscape of Ramsar | City of Ramsar, Province of Mazandaran | Mixed | 09/08/2007 | |
The Great Wall of Gorgan | Golestan Province | Cultural | 02/02/2017 | |
The Historical City of Masouleh | City of Masouleh, Gilan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Historical City of Maybod | Maybod, Yazd Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Historical Port of Siraf | Province of Bushehr | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Historical Texture of Damghan | Semnan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Historical Village of Abyaneh | Village of Abyaneh, Isfahan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Historical–Cultural Axis of Fin, Sialk, Kashan | Isfahan Province, Kashan | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
The Natural-Historical Landscape of Izeh | Khuzestan Province | Natural | 05/02/2008 | |
The Persian House in Central plateau of Iran | Isfahan and Yazd Provinces | Cultural | 02/02/2017 | |
The Zandiyeh Ensemble of Fars Province | Shiraz, Fars Province | Cultural | 05/02/2008 | |
Touran Biosphere Reserve | Semnan Province | Natural | 05/02/2008 | |
Tous Cultural Landscape | Tous, Khorasan Province | Cultural | 09/08/2007 | |
Trans-Iranian Railway | Mazandaran, Tehran and Khuzestan Provinces | Cultural | 02/02/2017 | |
University of Tehran | Tehran Province | Cultural | 02/02/2017 | |
Zozan | Province of Khorasan | Cultural | 09/08/2007 |