TEHRAN –Several historical mortmain properties in the southern province of Fars will be restored in near future, an official with the province’s Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization has announced. 

Most of the cisterns, mansions, caravanserais, mosques, and even shops scattered across the province are part of its religious endowments (waqf), Saeid Sharifi said on Saturday. 

As most of the mentioned properties date back to different historical eras and are situated in old urban areas, they need some rehabilitation works with the help of private investors, the official added.  
  
Parts of the most popular tourist attractions of the province such as Nasir al-Molk and Moshir mosques as well as Vakil Bazaar are also among the historical mortmain properties, he explained. 

He also noted that restoring and reviving such aging structures and historical sites could boost tourism in the region, which leads to economic prosperity. 

A waqf or mortmain property is an inalienable charitable endowment under Islamic law, which typically involves donating a building, plot of land, or other assets for Muslim religious or charitable purposes with no intention of reclaiming the assets.

The ancient region of Fars, also spelled Pars, or Persis, was the heart of the Achaemenian Empire (550–330 BC), which was founded by Cyrus the Great and had its capital at Pasargadae. Darius I the Great moved the capital to nearby Persepolis in the late 6th or early 5th century BC.

The capital city of Shiraz is home to some of the country’s most magnificent buildings and sights. Increasingly, it draws more and more foreign and domestic sightseers flocking into this provincial capital which was the literary capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty from 1751 to 1794.

ABU/AFM