TEHRAN – The non-profit Germany-based Gerda Henkel Foundation has allocated €650,000 to support research projects by the National Museum of Iran and a museum which is planned to be built in the city of Yazd by 2019.

It is part of the €5m fund which Gerda Henkel aims to channel into historical and archaeological missions in several countries, including Russia and Uganda, the Mehr news agency reported on Saturday.

The foundation has described Yazd as a city of rich history whose water supply system [qanat] is on the UNESCO World Heritage site, meanwhile it accentuates the city’s material and immaterial heritage is hardly explored.

“Historically significant buildings of the 15th century characterize the cityscape of Yazd,” it highlighted.

The foundation also plans to support the National Museum of Iran, whose collections are the most valuable cultural heritage of the Islamic Republic.

The Gerda Henkel in close collaboration with Iran’s Culture Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization will study part of the 15,000 objects of the museum treasure trove and its database as a pilot project.

Founded in 1976, the Gerda Henkel Foundation concentrates its support on the historical humanities, mainly on history, archaeology, the history of art and other disciplines with a historical component.

PHOTO: An undated photo shows Yazd skyline in detail. The city located in central Iran boasts a very rich cultural heritage and traditional architecture.

AFM/MG