TEHRAN – The Iranian city of Borujerd, located in western Lorestan province, has put forward seven cultural elements as candidates for inclusion in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the provincial tourism chief has said. 

The skills of several local handicrafts including knife making, woodcarving, and hand-made traditional hats as well as the talent of making Qajari dolls and its related rituals are planned to be added to the prestigious list, Seyyed Amin Qasemi announced on Saturday.   

An all-inclusive dossier has been prepared for the cultural elements, which will be soon submitted to the tourism ministry, the official added. 

Lorestan, which is a region of raw beauty, was inhabited by Iranian Indo-European peoples, including the Medes, c. 1000 BC. Cimmerians and Scythians intermittently ruled the region from about 700 to 625 BC. The Luristan Bronzes noted for their eclectic array of Assyrian, Babylonian, and Iranian artistic motifs, date from this turbulent period. 

Lorestan was incorporated into the growing Achaemenid Empire in about 540 BC and successively was part of the Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanid dynasties.

ABU/AFM