Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan

Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan

Located in the historic centre of Isfahan, the Masjed-e Jāmé (‘Friday mosque’) can be seen as a stunning illustration of the evolution of mosque architecture over twelve centuries, starting in ad 841. It is the oldest preserved edifice of its type in Iran and a prototype for later mosque designs throughout Central Asia. The complex, covering more than 20,000 m2, is also the first Islamic building that adapted the four-courtyard layout of Sassanid palaces to Islamic religious architecture. Its double-shelled ribbed domes represent an architectural innovation that inspired builders throughout the region. The site also features remarkable decorative details representative of stylistic developments over more than a thousand years of Islamic art.

 Iran (Islamic Republic of)

N32 40 11 E51 41 7

Date of Inscription: 2012

Criteria: (ii)

Property : 2.0756 ha

Buffer zone: 18.6351 ha

Ref: 1397

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Meidan Emam, Esfahan

Meidan Emam, Esfahan

Built by Shah Abbas I the Great at the beginning of the 17th century, and bordered on all sides by monumental buildings linked by a series of two-storeyed arcades, the site is known for the Royal Mosque, the Mosque of Sheykh Lotfollah, the magnificent Portico of Qaysariyyeh and the 15th-century Timurid palace. They are an impressive testimony to the level of social and cultural life in Persia during the Safavid era.

 Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Esfahan

N32 39 26.82 E51 40 40

Date of Inscription: 1979

Criteria: (i)(v)(vi)

Ref: 115

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Pasargadae

Pasargadae

Pasargadae was the first dynastic capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus II the Great, in Pars, homeland of the Persians, in the 6th century BC. Its palaces, gardens and the mausoleum of Cyrus are outstanding examples of the first phase of royal Achaemenid art and architecture and exceptional testimonies of Persian civilization. Particularly noteworthy vestiges in the 160-ha site include: the Mausoleum of Cyrus II; Tall-e Takht, a fortified terrace; and a royal ensemble of gatehouse, audience hall, residential palace and gardens. Pasargadae was the capital of the first great multicultural empire in Western Asia. Spanning the Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt to the Hindus River, it is considered to be the first empire that respected the cultural diversity of its different peoples. This was reflected in Achaemenid architecture, a synthetic representation of different cultures.

 Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Pars Province

N30 11 37.788 E53 10 2.244

Date of Inscription: 2004

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)

Property : 159.65 ha

Buffer zone: 7,126.9702 ha

Ref: 1106

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Persepolis

Persepolis

Founded by Darius I in 518 B.C., Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It was built on an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, where the king of kings created an impressive palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. The importance and quality of the monumental ruins make it a unique archaeological site.

 Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Fars

N29 56 3.984 E52 53 25.008

Date of Inscription: 1979

Criteria: (i)(iii)(vi)

Property : 12.5 ha

Ref: 114

Source: http://whc.unesco.org