TEHRAN – Hegmataneh ensemble, which was once the capital of Medes and later the summer residence for Achaemenid kings, is getting ready to gain UNESCO status.

“Now we are completing the documentation process for a dossier to be submitted to UNESCO… Fortunate, the procedure is almost finished,” Hamedan province’s tourism chief said on Wednesday.

“We hope to host UNESCO assessors in Hamedan next summer,” the official said.

The Hegmataneh ensemble is made up of a priceless archeological site and a singular collection of historical ruins. There are artifacts from six different historical eras that are still extant, including an odd collection that belonged to Iran's Christians. It is well protected as a result of its significance to history and culture.

Known in classical times as Ecbatana, the ensemble, which partly overlaps with modern Hamedan, was once one of the world’s greatest cities of ancient times. Pitifully little remains from antiquity, but significant parts of the city center are given over to excavations, and there’s a scattering of historical curiosities.

Small sections have been excavated over the past century, especially in the 1990s. There is a posh museum nearby, as well as two Armenian churches that are now part of Hamadan University.

It is worth noting that Ecbatana was first excavated in 1913 by the French Assyriologist Charles Fossey. Excavations are limited due to the modern city covering most of the ancient sites. In 2006, excavations in a limited area of Hegmataneh hill failed to uncover anything older than the Parthian period (247 BC).

AFM