TEHRAN – A total of 600 historic buildings and monuments are being renovated across Iran, an official with the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization said on Thursday.

Gholamreza Misaqian made the remarks in Semnan on Thursday on the sidelines of a congress, which addressed history of architecture and urbanism in the country, Mehr reported.

Misaqian attached great importance to countrywide protection and maintenance of historic monuments together with safeguarding of cultural heritage, saying “The collective memory of citizens and significant historical events befallen in [such] buildings should be preserved and passed out to the succeeding generations.”

According to officials, some 32,000 historic structures have been inscribed on the national heritage list.

AFM/MG