TEHRAN -- The International Conference on the Study and Conservation of Earthen Architecture will be held at Dowlatabad Garden in the world’s first earthen city Yazd where it was launched for the first time in 1971. The city will host the 9th round of the conference from November 29-December 2.

Iran is to host the conference for the first time after the Islamic Revolution. The previous rounds of the conference were held in Turkey, Peru, Portugal, and England while its second round was conducted in 1976 in Yazd.

“The conference intends to provide a list of technologies on earthen architecture studying different styles of earthen monuments,” said the secretary of the conference Rassoul Vatandoust during a press conference on Monday.

“We also want to promote public knowledge on the values of the earthen architecture for conservation of such monuments,” he added.

“It will be the most important event in the field of Iran’s cultural heritage,” said Vatandoust.

According to him, a total of 40 articles will be presented in the conference to be attended by more than 300 Iranian and foreign experts as well as a number of officials of related international organizations.

The experts are from different countries including South Africa, Algeria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Portugal, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Tunisia, United Kingdom, the U.S., and Uzbekistan.

Vatandoust said that the Cultural Heritage Organization planned to establish a research center in Iran for the earthen architecture with contributions of Iranian and foreign experts.

“UNESCO has realized the potentials of Iranian experts in the field of cultural heritage; if we materialize probable scientific results of the conference, Iran can be posed as a center for conservation of cultural heritage for other countries,” he added.

Yazd Cultural Heritage Department, Governorship of Yazd, Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, Yazd’s School of Art and Architecture, Tehran’s Shahid Beheshti University, Arts University of Isfahan, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the French Center for Research of Earth Architecture are the sponsors of the conference.