TEHRAN- A total of 16 historical relics have recently been donated to the cultural heritage department of the southern Kerman province, a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage said on Tuesday. 

These objects, which include earthenware jars and utensils as well as metal coins, date back to the third millennium BC and the Islamic era, CHTN quoted Hassan Mehri as saying on Tuesday. 

Moreover, the authenticity of all donated objects has been verified by local cultural heritage experts, the official added. 

Big and sprawling Kerman province is something of a cultural melting pot, blending various regional cultures over time. It is also home to rich tourist spots and historical sites including bazaars, mosques, caravanserais, and ruins of ancient urban areas.

The southern province is bounded by the provinces of Fars on the west, Yazd on the north, South Khorasan on the northeast, Sistan-Baluchestan on the east, and Hormozgan on the south. It includes the southern part of the central Iranian desert, the Dasht-e Lut.

ABU/AFM