Tourism Ministry prioritizes restoration of cultural heritage sites
During a ceremony held on Tuesday, the sixth day of Cultural Heritage Week, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ezattollah Zarghami expressed the organization’s commitment to the restoration of historical monuments, including Christian churches, despite facing limited financial resources.
Zarghami emphasized that while the government already allocates considerable attention to cultural heritage sites, the lack of budget poses a significant threat to the preservation of the country’s rich cultural heritage.
To mitigate this, he urged the involvement of the private sector in supporting such restoration projects.
The minister further emphasized the inclusivity of Iran’s cultural heritage preservation efforts, stating, “It is important for people to know that even in challenging economic conditions, we prioritize the protection and restoration of our diverse cultural heritage, including not only Muslim mosques and buildings, but also the heritage of other religions such as churches, synagogues, and fire temples.”
In a bid to safeguard cultural heritage, Zarghami proposed a ceremony to destroy the metal detectors found by the ministry’s Protection Unit.
Additionally, he stressed that individuals interested in the discovery of treasures should understand the importance of locating and destroying metal detectors, as legal action will be taken against violators.
The issuance of notices, warnings, and text messages by the Protection Unit for cultural heritage preservation and the prevention of the destruction of national treasures has proven valuable. Such warnings have contributed to a decrease in criminal activities.
The ratio of court cases filed in response to warnings and discoveries remains low, indicating the effectiveness of these preventive measures.