TEHRAN—The historical sites across the ancient city of Khoy have taken some 30 billion rials ($100,000) damages from the last week’s medium-sized earthquake, a local tourism official has said.

The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that rattled the ancient city on Wednesday damaged some historical sites including the municipality’s old building, Seyyed al-Shohada Mosque, Al-e Yaqub Tomb, and Ayatollahi and Kabiri mansions, Davud Farazi said on Monday.

Over the past few days and after the earthquake, groups of assessors and cultural heritage experts have been dispatched to the damaged areas to investigate possible damages, the official added.

Damaged monuments will be restored and revived as soon as possible, he noted.

The historical city is encircled by vast sunflower farms under the shadow of snow-capped towering mountains. It is also teeming with centuries-old mosques, churches, caravanserais, bathhouses, fortresses, and ramparts, each telling its own tales.

Khoy is also a destination for lovers of Persian literature, who come visit the mausoleum of Shams Tabrizi, a renowned Iranian poet, and mystic who lived between 1185 and 1248.

The economy of its surrounding regions is primarily based on agriculture; various fruits, grains, timber productions, and sunflowers. The latter is what Khoy is nicknamed for.

Situated near the ancient Silk Road in West Azarbaijan province, Khoy was enormously fortified in different eras of its history, most recently by a decree of Qajar rulers in the 18th and 19th centuries.

During bitter times in its history, Khoy was occupied by foreign military forces; for instance, in 1911, when the county was at odds with the then Ottoman Empire, and some points during World War I and II by Russians.

ABU/AM