TEHRAN – Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Crafts Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri said on Thursday that the historic texture of Dehdasht in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province will be fully restored for tourism.
Visiting the lesser known province, Salehi Amiri said the restoration will help promote tourism and strengthen Iran’s cultural image internationally.
“The revival of this historic zone cannot be relied solely on government spending,” Salehi Amiri said. “Investor participation can turn Dehdasht into a hub for domestic and international tourists.”
The minister said his office was in consultation with investors and affiliated organizations and delegated decision-making powers to the governor to accelerate development. He added that prioritizations include authorizing infrastructure permits and increasing the investment license cap from 800 billion rial ($800,000) to 10 trillion rial ($10 million).
“This delegation of power allows state managers to make strategic decisions locally without requiring investors to travel to Tehran,” he said.
Salehi-Amiri described the government’s assessment of the state administration as positive, saying sustainable development will help bridge the region’s longstanding economic gaps.
Kohgiluyeh and Governor Boyer-Ahmad Yadollah Rahmani said 42 tourism projects are currently underway in the province and will be funded by the end of the year (now the Iranian calendar). He said 780 sites in Dehdasht are registered as national heritage sites, with one being engraved internationally.
Rahmani said the restoration of historic fabrics in Dehdasht, including Caravanserai, Mosque, Marketplace, Bathhouse and Citadel, would provide a great opportunity for investment.
Congress’s Seyed Mohammad Movahed cited a coordinated effort to boost tourism, citing attractions such as the Cesme Bergtiz Garden, Kama Doug Falls and local archaeological sites.
The ancient city of Dehadasht, also known as Bellad Shapur, is considered one of the most important surviving examples of Iranian architecture. That Caravanserai was one of 54 Iranian caravanseraised on the UNESCO World Heritage List at the organization’s 45th session in Riyadh in 2023.
Dehadshut, also known as Bellad Shapur, was founded in the order of Shapur I (241–272 CE), the second king of the Sassanid dynasty. During Shapur’s reign, the Sassanid Empire extended from Sogdiana and Iberia (now Georgia) to the north to the Mazun region of Arabia to the south, reaching the Indus River to the east and the valleys of Tigris and Euphrates to the west.
The Sassanid period marked the revival of Persian art and architecture. It features monumental palaces such as Ctesiphon, Firuzabad and Sarvestan. Crafts, including metalwork and jewel sculptures, have become increasingly refined. Meanwhile, translations of works from the East and West have been translated into Pahlavi, an advanced scholarship, which is Sassanid.
The sculpture of the rock carving and bottom-saving of limestone cliffs is one of the most famous features of Sassanid’s art, with outstanding examples of Bishapur, Naksh Erostam and Naksh e Rajab in southern Iran. In 2018, UNESCO engraved the “Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of the Fars Region” on its World Heritage List.
Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad states are also known for their nomadic culture. Visitors can stay with nomads and country families, take part in agriculture and everyday life, and experience traditional arts and customs.
morning