TEHRAN – A budget of 370 billion rials (about $9 million at the official dollar rate of 42,000 rials) has spent on reviving the Rab’-e Rashidi in northwestern East Azarbaijan province over the past three years, a provincial tourism chief has said.

Located in Tabriz, the capital of East Azarbaijan province, the 14th-century educational complex was established during the reign of Ghazan, a ruler of the Ilkhanid dynasty (1256-1353).

The budget has spent on the acquisition of the lands in the area of the historical complex, as well as archaeological excavations and restoration projects, CHTN quoted Alireza Quchi as saying on Thursday.

Rab’-e Rashidi includes several archaeological layers that date from Ilkhanid, Safavid, and Qajar eras. It is said that students from Iran, China, Egypt, and Syria studied there under the supervision of physicians, intellectuals, scientists, and Islamic scholars.

The ancient complex embraces a paper factory, a library, a hospital (Dar-al-Shafa), a Quranic center (Dar-al-Quran), residential facilities for teachers, students’ quarters, and a caravanserai amongst other facilities.

Soaked in history and culture for millennia, Tabriz embraces several historical and religious sites, including Jameh Mosque of Tabriz and Arg of Tabriz, and UNESCO-registered Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex to name a few.

Iran keeps an eye on the possible inscription of the site on the UNESCO World Heritage list by 2025.

ABU/MG