TEHRAN - Restoration work has begun at the ancient Ozbaki archaeological site in Alborz province, a 9,000-year-old landmark aimed to become an open-air museum, drawing tourists and preserving a key piece of human history.

The restoration efforts will include surface layer removal, debris clearance, fortification and restoration of the Median fortress, creating a tourist path, repairing the steps of the Ozbaki mound, and installing new informational signs at the entrance of the site, said a local cultural heritage official on Sunday.

Mahdi Arbabnia further noted that creation of a tourist route is part of the broader plan to organize the site for visitors, and these restoration activities aim to transform the Ozbaki site into an open-air museum.

“The restoration work is expected to take approximately one month to complete,” he brought to light.

Moreover, the Head of Civil Projects of the Alborz Cultural Heritage Department, Samin Rezaei also stated that the installation of new entrance signs for the entire site, in line with the approved design, is among the other tasks being undertaken.

The Ozbaki archaeological site, with a history of over 9,000 years, is significant for its ancient human-made mud-brick remains, one of which is preserved at the United Nations.

The archaeological hill is situated near Nazarabad, some 80 km west of Tehran. The site has yielded cultural relics dating from the first half of the 7th millennium to the first half of the first millennium BC, i.e. the Medes period.
XF/AM