TEHRAN - The tourism directorate of Gilan plans to revive and restore a number of the destroyed historical buildings across the northern province, the provincial tourism chief has said.

In different periods, many buildings have been constructed and then destroyed over time for a variety of reasons across the province, Vali Jahani explained on Tuesday. 

However, the province’s cultural heritage department will collaborate with the private owners if they wish to renovate and revitalize these historical monuments, the official added. 

The restoration of historical structures keeps alive the time-honored traditions and revives citizens’ memories, he noted. 

It also could lead to tourism prosperity in the region, he mentioned. 

Gilan is well-known for its rich Iron Age cemeteries such as Marlik that have been excavated over the past century. It was once within the sphere of influence of the successive Achaemenian, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sassanid empires that ruled Iran until the 7th century CE. The subsequent Arab conquest of Iran led to the rise of many local dynasties, and Gilan acquired an independent status that continued until 1567.

Sophisticated Rasht, the capital of Gilan province, has long been a weekend escape for residents of Tehran who are looking to sample the famous local cuisine and hoping for some pluvial action – it's the largest, and wettest town in the northern region. Gilan is divided into a coastal plain including the large delta of Sefid Rud and adjacent parts of the Alborz mountain range.

ABU/AM