TEHRAN - New boundaries will be defined for Tepe Kelar Hill, a 6,000-year-old archaeological hill situated in the northern province of Mazandaran to protect the ancient site from destruction. 

A budget of 2.5 billion rials (about $ 60,000 at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials) has been allocated to the project, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said. 

The project aims to eliminate threats of land-grabbing, illegal construction, or repurposing the hill’s lands to agricultural fields, IRNA quoted Mehdi Izadi as saying on Monday. 

After the completion of the project, an archeological site is planned to be built in the area to attract history buffs and nature tourists to the region, the official added. 
 
In an area of 35 hectares and near Kelardasht, the hill was inscribed on the National Heritage list in 1965. 

Tepe Kelar takes its name from an ancient city that was located nearby. Called ‘The Paradise of Explorers’, it is one of the historical sights of Kelardasht, and a prominent archeological site, which contributes to archeologists’ surveys and researches. 

Stretched along the Caspian Sea and Alborz mountain range, Mazandaran is a popular destination for domestic holidaymakers and it is home to more than 3500 villages and rural areas.

ABU/AFM