TEHRAN – The construction operations of a tourism complex, which includes overnight accommodation facilities, have been completed in the UNESCO-registered Burnt City, southeast Iran.

The complex includes six accommodation units, three educational units, and sanitary facilities, CHTN quoted Majid Kalanouri, director of the World Heritage site, as saying on Thursday.

The complex is expected to bring more comfort to visitors of the site, the official said.

Known as Shahr-e Sukhteh in Persian, the site is situated at the junction of Bronze Age trade routes crossing the Iranian plateau, remains of the mud-brick city bear witness to the emergence of the first complex societies in eastern Iran.

Spanning an area of 280 hectares, the site had extensive commercial, political, and social relations with other important cities in the region. Founded around 3200 BC, the city was populated during four main periods up to 1800 BC, during which time there developed several distinct areas within the city. These include a monumental area, residential areas, industrial zones, and a graveyard.

Previous rounds of excavations showed that the residents of the Burnt City had great skills in weaving, creating fine arts such as decorative objects, stone carving, and pottery painting. Four civilizations have lived in the city which was burnt down three times and not rebuilt after the last fire. The world’s oldest animated picture, as well as the earliest-known dice, backgammon set, caraway seeds, and artificial eyeball, are among the most significant discoveries at the site.

AFM/