TEHRAN - Iran ranks 10th in the world in terms of the number of historical monuments and sites registered on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The director of the World Heritage Affairs Office at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Farhad Azizi announced that Iran is ranked 10th regarding the number of historical monuments and sites registered in the UNESCO World Heritage list, and upgrading this position can be very effective in the development of tourism in the country, Mehr reported on Monday.

Before the Islamic Revolution, Persepolis, Naghsh-e Jahan Square, and Choghaznabil were the only three UNESCO-listed monuments, but today the number has been increased this number to 24 historical sites, he added.

Azizi informed that within the next two weeks, a UNESCO Assessor will pay a visit to the Uraman region in western Kordestan province, which is a candidate for becoming a World Heritage site in 2021.

The global registration of the Uraman region is a good opportunity to introduce the historical and scenic areas of Iran, he said.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. The latest available data show eight million tourists visited the Islamic Republic during the first ten months of the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20).

AFM/MG