Temporary world heritage dossier for Seymreh Valley completed
The temporary nomination dossier for the global registration of the “Natural and Historical Landscape of Seymreh Valley,” proposed as a mixed natural-cultural site, has been completed following preliminary research and with the cooperation of experts from various fields. The dossier has been submitted to Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts for review and completion of administrative procedures.
According to Sharifi, the area represents one of the world’s most outstanding examples of the consequences of a major geomorphological event — the massive Kabir Kuh landslide — on the formation of natural landscapes, ecosystems, and patterns of human settlement, IRNA wrote.
He noted that the proposed dossier was prepared in accordance with the criteria of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The Kabir Kuh landslide, recognized as the largest known landslide in the world, provides a unique illustration of active geological processes in the Zagros region.
Sharifi added that the continuity of human habitation, displacement, and cultural adaptation in the Seymreh and Kashkan valleys over a span of approximately 85,000 years represents an exceptional example of the enduring relationship between humans and nature within an inherently unstable landscape.
Explaining the scope and components of this cultural and natural landscape, he said the Seymreh Valley and parts of the Kashkan Valley, the northern slopes of Kabir Kuh, the vast landslide mass, natural dam lakes, sedimentary terraces, the eleven wetlands of Pol-e Dokhtar, and a series of prominent valleys and gorges together form a coherent system of natural and cultural phenomena whose outstanding universal value can be demonstrated in an integrated manner.
He emphasized that submission of the dossier marks the first step toward the site’s global registration. Following evaluation by the ministry and review by the National World Heritage Committee, and if approved, the site will be added to Iran’s tentative list for future nomination to UNESCO.