TEHRAN—Over 100 historical monuments and sites across the country are planned to be temporarily ceded to the private sector with the aim of higher productivity and better maintenance, the CEO of Iran’s Revitalization and Utilization Fund for Historical Places has said.

Some 30 to 35 of these monuments will be handed over to private investors through a tender process in one to two months, IRNA quoted Hossein Sari as saying on Tuesday.

Those buildings will remain under the government’s ownership, however, the investors will be allowed to repurpose them into accommodation and cultural centers, within a certain period, the official added.

Considering the high number and quantity of historical buildings across the country, the government is unable to restore and revive them all, so private investors are encouraged to participate, he noted.

Over the past couple of years, tens of historical places and monuments have been temporarily ceded to the private sector under the supervision of the Revitalization and Utilization Fund for Historical Places.

Affiliated with the tourism ministry, the Fund is in charge of concession with the aim of historical sites receiving better maintenance by repurposing them into thriving boutique hotels, eco-lodges, traditional restaurants, or other profitable niches.

The country boasts hundreds of historical sites such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

ABU/AM