More than 50 caravanserais, the large shelters that opened along Iran’s historic routes, have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the organization said on Sunday.
The inscription was confirmed at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh.
The sometimes imposing and fortified caravanserais were “outposts located at the edge of routes that offered shelter and food to caravans, pilgrims and travelers,” UNESCO notes on its website.
Today, Iran has more than 200, located along historical trade routes that criss-crossed the country between Asia and Europe, such as the Silk Road.
UNESCO published a map on its website showing 54 caravan sites in the north-east, north and center of the country.
“They are the most influential and luxurious examples of Iran, representing a wide range of architectural styles, fashions, adaptations to climatic conditions and construction materials, spread over thousands of kilometers and built over several centuries,” he noted.
These include the caravanserai of Qasr-e Bahram near the city of Semnan, Deir-e Gachin near Qom, and Anjireh Sang near Yazid in the center.
Iran currently has 27 UNESCO-classified historical sites, including Persepolis (in the south), Armenian monasteries (in the northwest), the historic city of Yazd, and Nagsh-e Jahan Square.
Source: Diario.Elmundo
