Reza Salehi Amir made the remark at an event celebrating Iran’s cultural and historical heritage, alongside the unveiling of the book 'Thousands of Years of Iran', was held at the National Bank Museum with other officials in attendence.
The documentary-style publication explores Iran’s economic and cultural history, highlighting the country’s rich heritage and the historical landmarks that have shaped its civilizational identity.
Speaking at the event, Salehi-Amiri said approximately one million historical sites had been identified across Iran, but only 43,000 had been nationally registered and 30 inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
He siad that 58 sites were awaiting provisional registration on the World Heritage List, underscoring the need to accelerate efforts to secure international recognition for Iran’s historical assets.
“UNESCO experts were in Gilan Province and Masuleh yesterday and today, and in the coming months, they will visit other parts of Iran to help us accelerate the process of World Heritage registration,” the minister said.
Iran's Diversity Cannot Be Captured in One Account
Still, an Iranian-Armenian photographer and documentary filmmaker Herbert Karim Masihi also spoke at the event, describing Iran as a land rich in architectural, cultural and historical wonders.
“Iran is full of wonders, from the smallest details to anything you can imagine, its structures, its people, its stories and its history,” Masihi said, emphasizing the difficulty of capturing the country’s immense diversity in a single account.
He explained that documenting Iran’s historical landmarks had required months and, in some cases, years of work, including spending time at the sites through different seasons.
Among the landmarks that hold particular significance for him, Masihi identified Persepolis, the Chogha Zanbil ziggurat, the Shah Abbas Mosque in Isfahan and Mount Khajeh near Zabol.
The book’s launch brought together cultural heritage and documentary photography, highlighting Iran’s historical depth and the importance of documenting and preserving its architectural and cultural legacy for future generations.
Hossein Amiri - seyed mohammad kazemi
