TEHRAN –A selection of five historical sites in the northern province of Golestan has recently been inscribed on the national heritage list, the provincial tourism chief has said.

Five ancient sites including cemeteries and hills in the cities of Gonbad-e Kavus, Aliabad-e-Katul, and Kordkuy were added to the prestigious list, Mohammad Javad Savari explained on Friday.

The properties date back from the Neolithic period to the Qajar era (1789-1925), the official added.

Golestan is home to hundreds of historical and natural sites, with UNESCO-registered Gonbad-e Qabus – a one-millennium-old brick tower – amongst its most famous.

Narratives say the tower has influenced various subsequent designers of tomb towers and other cylindrical commemorative structures both in the region and beyond. According to the UN body, the mudbrick tower bears testimony to the cultural exchange between Central Asian nomads and the ancient civilization of Iran.

ABU/AM