TEHRAN - Tepe Sialk, a c. 8,000-year-old archaeological site in Kashan, central Iran, has been placed on Iran’s shortlist of potential UNESCO World Heritage sites, an official said, as efforts to resolve legal and conservation issues around the site’s protected area gain momentum.

Amir Karamzadeh, director general of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department of Isfahan province, told Tehran Times that following coordination between the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development, and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, steps have begun to free the site’s buffer zone to prepare for international registration.

“Tepe Sialk is one of the most eligible prehistoric sites in the province for UNESCO’s tentative list,” Karamzadeh said. He noted that the site had been on a waiting list and is now undergoing renewed evaluation.

The buffer zone around the mound(s), encompassing roughly 100 to 112 land parcels, has seen a decades-long standstill on construction activities due to heritage protections. “For more than 35 years, building permits were halted to protect the site, causing difficulties for residents and related authorities,” he said.

During a recent visit by the Minister of Cultural Heritage to Kashan, an agreement was reached with the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development to allocate alternative lands to owners to facilitate legal clearance of the protected area.

Karamzadeh said that while the ministry has proposed one replacement site, some landowners were reluctant to relocate there. “We have asked the ministry to identify and offer new options. Our department is pursuing this through high-level channels,” he added.

The official emphasized that the goal is to legally resolve ownership issues and clear the buffer zone to enable ongoing archaeological work and support the UNESCO registration process.

Karamzadeh also reported that unauthorized construction and villa developments within the buffer zone have been repeatedly stopped and demolished through collaboration with local heritage authorities. “Protection efforts and legal cases against violators have increased in recent years,” he said.

The Tepe Sialk site, which was previously removed from the tentative UNESCO list due to challenges related to buffer zone constructions, is considered a strong candidate for future nomination if legal matters are settled.

Karamzadeh explained that Iran must prioritize which sites to nominate each year due to limited slots, but described Tepe Sialk as having high archaeological value. “The site’s continuous cultural layers date back to the 5th millennium BCE,” he said.

He also mentioned a municipal project to establish an urban museum at the site. “The city of Kashan is working on creating a museum, and we aim to coordinate efforts to develop the area as a vibrant cultural tourism hub,” he added.

Tepe Sialk was first excavated in the 1930s by French archaeologist Roman Ghirshman and his wife Tania. The site consists of two main mounds, northern and southern hills, each with six layers representing successive ancient civilizations.

AM