TEHRAN -- Maymand, a 3000-year-old village built on rocky mountain cliffs in the southeastern Iranian province of Kerman, is adorned with UNESCO World Heritage Site plaque on Thursday.

The plaque was unveiled during a ceremony attended by Iran’s tourism chief Masoud Soltanifar, Kerman Governor Alireza Razm-Hosseini, Director and Representative of UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran Esther Kuisch Laroche and Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Iran to UNESCO Ahmad Jalali.

UNESCO General Director Irina Bokova handed the UNESCO World Heritage Site Plaque of Maymand and Susa to President Hassan Rouhani during their recent meeting in Paris late January, Iran’s cultural heritage chief Mohammad-Hassan Talebian announced in a press release.

Maymand and Susa, the ruined capital of ancient Elam in southwestern Iran, were registered on World Heritage List during the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in early July, 2015.

The village of Maymand is located near the town of Shahr-e Babak in the Kerman Province.

It is one of the world rarest historical villages, where ancient traditions are still observed in daily life and even the close bonds between man and nature is evident even in today’s technological era.

The houses of the village, which has an elevation of 2200 meters, have been constructed without the use of modern building materials. Its residents are mainly involved in cattle breeding and agriculture.

The village was awarded the Melina Mercury Prize in 2005. The prize was founded in 1999 by the former Greek minister of culture and art, Melina Mercury, to promote protection of cultural and natural landscapes.

******* PHOTO: Maymand, a 3000-year-old village built on rocky mountain cliffs, is located in the southeastern Iranian province of Kerman (Abuzar Ahmadizadeh/IRNA)

SB/
END