Jameh Mosque of Isfahan Jameh Mosque of Isfahan is the oldest monument in Isfahan and an outstanding instance to show the course of changes in the Iranian Architecture. Having been damaged due to various incidents such as fire, earthquake, as well as bombing during the war, the mosque is still indefeasible.

Jameh Mosque of Isfahan is one of the most important and oldest Iranian religious edifices. Archeological studies have demonstrated that even before Islam, this place has been an important religious center in the town. Different parts of the Mosque have been formed within two millenniums and they have been subjected to continuous rebuilding. The present appearance of the mosque is mostly the result of the measures taken in the era of Seljuk Empire. However, the restorations and additions were made in later eras especially during the Safavid Dynasty.

Having satisfied five of the inscription criteria, the collection of Pasargadae and Eram gardens in Fars Province (south-west of Iran), Pahlevānpur and Dowlatābād gardens in Yazd (Central Iran), Fin garden of Kashan (Central Iran), ChehelSotun garden of Isfahan (Central Iran), Akbariyye garden (southern Khorassan, east of Iran), Abbāsābād garden of Mazandaran (Northern Iran), and Māhān garden of Kerman (south-east Iran) was inscribed as Iran’s 13th Iranian cultural property on the World Heritage List, and by the World Heritage Committee. Having been constructed in various historical periods, starting as of the 6th Century BC, prove as compatible with the varied climatic conditions prevailing throughout Iran. The textures and structures behave similarly in that they all include, as their shared features, surrounding high walls, constructed spaces and mansions, as well as complexes of delicately planned irrigation systems. A predecessor in the field, the Persian Garden has influenced garden designs on the whole territory stretched between the Indian Subcontinent and Spain.

The greatest roofed bazaar of the world, and enjoying a history of nine centuries, the ancient Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex continues to function as a prominent trade center. Previously, the Complex used to manifest as a main trade center on the Silk Road, and an important place for cultural exchanges, too. Architecturally, the Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex comprises a mixture of mud-brick structures, roofed bazaars, and closed spaces classifiable for various categories of activities. The complex constitutes a complete sample of the Iranian traditional trade and cultural systems.

Sheikh Safi al-Din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil Encompassing architectural remains of the period between the years 735 and 1038 AH, the Sheikh Safi al-Din Ensemble comprises tens of masterpieces of various artistic branches, including Mo’arraq and Moqarnas tile-work, plaster arts, delicate and great inscriptions, masterpieces of Iranian calligraphy, valuable fret-work, silver carvings, makeup arts on books, and paintings, among others.

The site presents a majestic architectural design, prominent among Iranian historical ensembles due to the existence of the valuable artistic features mentioned above. In addition to its beauty and historical value, the site is, also, prominent due to its functioning as a gathering place for performing Gnostic and Sufi ritualistic practice.

The Shustar Historical Hydraulic System (Khuzestan Province, south-west of Iran) were established during the reign of Darius the Great, the Achaemenid king of the 5th Century BC. The system included in itself 10 water-mills: the world’s greatest industrial complex before the Industrial Revolution. Utilizing the available water resources by guiding them through a network of underground canals beneath the ancient city of Shushtar, which follows the climatic conditions prevailing throughout the region, the technique proves as a most thoughtful manifestation of urban-hydraulic architectural form.

The collection of Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran encompasses three Armenian Christian churches, namely Saint. Tadeus (QaraKelisā: “black church”), Saint Stepanus, and Zurzur. Tadeus, a founder of Armenian churches, was killed in 66 BC, due to his belief in Jesus Christ. His resting place is located in QaraKelesā, and functions as a prominent pilgrimage attraction for Armenians. Enjoying Armenian architectural features, QaraKelisā is among the most valuable historical properties of Iran, due to its space and architectural techniques. The site is well-known internationally, to the extent that every year it attracts Armenians of the world.

The most magnificent ancient site of Bisotun area (Kermanshah Province, west of Iran) is Darius I’s Bas Relief and Inscription, carved around the year 520 BC. The site recites the Darius the Great’s victory over Geomata the Clergy and nine other rebels. Twenty meters long and eight meters high, the property includes an inscription of 1119 lines in Old Persian, Elamite, and Akkadian (Babylonian). In addition to its historical value, the inscription of Bisotun is one of the oldest encyclopedia of proper names in Iranian languages to the extent that it functions as a valuable treasure to investigate historical changes in the words of the languages of the various periods; such words include proper human names, as well as the names referring to cities, rivers, and mountains. It also plays the role of an ancient source of information on writing, calendar, ideologies, and the thinking traditions of the period.

The greatest brick dome of the world, and the first two-layered dome of Iran, the majestic Soltaniyeh Dome was constructed according to an order by Soltān Mohammad Khodābande, the Ilkhanid King of Iran, in the period between the years 703-713 AH. The site proves as a prominent achievement by Iranian architects, and functions as a key to the development of the Islamic Period architecture. The Dome manifests as an octagonal building, surrounded by eight minarets. Fifty meters high, and 27 meters wide, the Soltaniyeh Dome stands on top.

A collection of ancient remains of the Achaemenid Period (6th Century BC), Pasargadae is located to the north of Shiraz, to a distance of 135 kilometers, in Pāsārgād area (Fars Province, south-west of Iran). The most prominent among the historical subsets of the site, Cyrus the Greate’s Resting Place, Cambyses the King’s Resting Place, the Gate Palace, the Bridge, the Public Reception Palace, the Private Palace, two Royal Mansions, the Royal Garden Water-views, the Defensive Constructions, Tol-e Takht, the Mozaffari Caravanserai, the Holy Area, and TangeBolāqi. Pasargadae used to function as the capital of the first multi-cultural empire of West Asia. The varied architectural designs point to the country’s diverse cultures, with its elements, each representing a different cultural style.

The ancient citadel of Bam (Kerman Province, south-east of Iran) enjoys plenty of architectural and urban design features; covering a 200,000-square-meter area, it manifests as one of the magnificent mud-brick complexes of the world, and encompasses various types of historical buildings and residential places, linked and mingled with one another based on a unique pattern on the slope of a hill, and leading, finally, to the exceptionally majestic Chāhār-fasl (roughly, “four-season”) building on top, toward the peak. The sites, also, enjoys the existence of various residential layers of a two-thousand-year period, and this feature adds to its archaeological values. Following the devastating earthquake in the area, the ancient citadel, a major part of the World Heritage Property was transferred, in 2004, to the Endangered World Heritage List of UNESCO.