TEHRAN –The tourism infrastructure is being developed in the UNESCO-registered Burnt city, southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said.

A budget of over 34 billion rials ($114,000) has been allocated to the project, Mojtaba Sa’adatian explained on Monday.

Called “Shahr-e Sukhteh” in Persian, the UNESCO-registered Burnt City is associated with four rounds of civilization, all mysteriously burnt down by catastrophic sets of fire. It is situated in Sistan-Baluchestan province, which was once a junction of Bronze-Age trade routes crossing the semi-arid plateau.

Founded around 3200 BC, the Burnt City was populated during four main periods up to 1800 BC. Previous rounds of excavations showed that its residents had great skills in weaving, and creating fine arts such as decorative objects, stone carving, and pottery painting.

Sistan-Baluchestan is home to several distinctive archaeological sites and natural attractions, including the historical Seb castle, dating back to the time of the Safavids (1501–1736).; Darak beach, where sand dunes, palm trees, and blue sea in a frame together create picturesque sceneries; Darren Negaran (literally meaning illustration of the valley) which is home to tens of carved pictures of different animals such as wild cows, camels, and antelopes; Chabahar beach, which is the only oceanic port of Iran; and Martian mountains with colors varying from gray to white during the day due to intensity of the daylight.

ABU/MG