Iran celebrates registration of Tehran’s royal complex on UNESCO’s World Heritage List

TEHRAN,July 9(MNA) -- The registration of Tehran’s Golestan Palace complex on UNESCO’s World Heritage List was celebrated during a ceremony on Sunday evening. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and a group of his advisors and colleagues attended the ceremony in the courtyard of the complex, which was added to the list during the 37th meeting of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on June 23. Speaking at the ceremony, Ahmadinejad expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) to get the site registered on UNESCO’s list. He said that nine out of the 16 Iranian sites recognized as world heritage in UNESCO attained their status during his administration. The CHTHO awarded a plaque of honor to the president who joked in his acceptance speech saying, “Ahmadinejad is now registered as Iran’s last cultural heritage in the world!” The ceremony came to an end with a concert by Alireza Qorbani. The central core of the complex was built in the reign of Safavid king Abbas I (1571-1629). Afterwards, it was developed during various dynasties that ruled Iran in later years. The Golestan Palace is currently used as museum complex displaying artifacts mostly dating back to the Qajar period.