TEHRAN - The legal boundaries and protective regulations for the Viranshahr archaeological site in northeastern Iran have been officially determined and announced by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

The site, situated in the Faruj region of North Khorasan province, is believed to have been inhabited during the Parthian and Sassanian eras.

On Monday, Mohammadreza Qahremanian, the provincial tourism chief, confirmed that the site’s designated boundaries and preservation guidelines are now under the strict protection of North Khorasan’s cultural heritage department.

With the protective measures now in place, Viranshahr will remain under the supervision of cultural authorities to ensure the preservation of its archaeological and architectural integrity.

“Any unauthorized alterations or violations within the protected area will be considered a crime and subject to legal penalties,” the official said.

Viranshahr was officially registered on Iran’s National Heritage List in 2006 under registration number 16588. The site is of significant historical importance, offering insights into the ancient civilizations that once thrived in the region.

Khorasan — meaning the “Land of the Sun” — is a historical region and realm comprising a vast territory now lying in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan. The historical region extended along the north, from the Amu Darya (Oxus River) westward to the Caspian Sea and, along the south, from the fringes of the central Iranian deserts eastward to the mountains of central Afghanistan.

AM