TEHRAN – Work to restore the historical village of Kareyak is set to commence in near future aimed to repair substantial damage inflicted by a recent tremor. 

The mudbrick township is located in Sisakht county of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, southwest Iran. 

“The quake-hit houses in the village are to be restored to their closest original states using their traditional architectural plans under the supervision of the cultural heritage experts,” the provincial tourism chief said on Monday.  

A budget of one billion rials (almost $24,000 at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) has been allocated to the project so far, Majid Safai added. 

The official also noted that the province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department is preparing a dossier to register the village on the National Heritage list.  

Back in February a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Sisakht and surrounding areas. The quake felt in several cities and villages in the region.

According to officials, some 2,000 houses in Sisakht and 38 neighboring villages were damaged by the incident and around 60 people were injured. 

Iran sits on top of major tectonic plates and experiences frequent seismic activity. A 7.3-magnitude quake in the western province of Kermanshah killed 620 people in November 2017.

In 2003, a 6.6-magnitude quake destroyed the ancient mud-brick city of Bam in the southeast Kerman province, killing at least 31,000 people.

Iran's deadliest was a 7.4-magnitude quake in 1990 that killed 40,000 people, injured 300,000 others, and left half a million homeless across the northern town of Rudbar.

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province is known for its nomads and nomadic life. Sightseers may live with a nomadic or rural family for a while or enjoy an independent stay and assist them with day-to-day life. It also opens up an opportunity to feel rustic routines, their agriculture, traditions, arts, and culture.

ABU/ AFM