ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The United Nations cultural organization UNESCO on Saturday added the ancient city of Hegmataneh (Ecbatana) to its World Heritage List. The site is located in the suburbs of the modern-day city of Hamadan in western Iran.
“I congratulate the dear nation of Iran and the international community on this auspicious event,” Ali Darabi, Iran's cultural heritage deputy minister, wrote in an Instagram post.
The designation makes Hegmataneh the 28th Iranian location to receive the prestigious label.
Hegmataneh is celebrated as the site where the Median Dynasty was established and would later serve as the capital for the Median Empire. Some historians believe Kurds are descended from the Medes.
The 40,000-hectare area contains remains dating back to the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. It is also known for serving as the summer capital of Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian empires.
The site has been owned by the Iranian government since 1974. Gold tablets, silver plates, pottery and other remains from the Achaemenid Empire have been found there. Parts of Hegmataneh remain to be excavated.
The global heritage label “is an effective generator for the development of cultural tourism at the regional and national level and can turn Hamedan into one of the well-known tourism hubs at the regional level,” said Darabi.
The World Heritage List includes over a thousand sites around the world valued for their distinct cultural or natural importance. The purpose of the list is to protect important historical sites around the world.