TEHRAN – Six historical properties including a mosque, tower, and a cemetery, which are located in Ardabil province, have recently been added to Iran’s national heritage list. 

The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts has declared the inscriptions in official documents it submitted to the governor-general of the northwestern province, CHTN reported on Sunday. 

A historical house, the archaeological site of Kaman-e Abi (Blue Bow), and a Koushk ( tiny summer dwelling) were the other properties added to the prestigious list, the report said.

National registration is expected to lay the ground for the historical monuments and sites gaining additional care and maintenance. 

Sprawling on a high, windswept plateau, Ardabil is well-known for having lush natural beauties, hospitable people, and its silk and carpet trade tradition. It is also home to the UNESCO-registered Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble.

The mountainous province is very cold in winter and mild in summer, attracting thousands every year. The capital city of Ardabil is usually recorded as one of the coldest cities in the country in winter.

According to Britannica, Persian historians have ascribed a founding date to the city in the Sassanid period, but its known history does not begin until the Islamic period. 
Ardabil once shared in trade with Russia via the Caspian, but such activity has stagnated. Its industry consists of a cement factory and the making of carpets and rugs. Local warm mineral springs are frequented.

AFM