🔸Despite opposition from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the steering council of the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Persepolis and Pasargada, along with objections from experts and cultural heritage activists, ultimately approved the incorporation of part of the Level Two buffer zone of Persepolis into the city limits of Marvdasht.

🔸The head of the UNESCO site of Persepolis, who is said to have resigned following this action, told IRNA on Monday, 23 Shahrivar: «Unfortunately, despite all the efforts made, this area was annexed to Marvdasht, and no practical attempt was made to prevent it.»

🔸According to IRNA, the annexation of an area of about 110 hectares in the village of Mahdiyeh and within the Level Two buffer zone of Persepolis was carried out under the pretext of being aimed at organizing the area.

🔸Mohammadjavad Jafari emphasized that «this plan, despite expert reviews and objections,» was carried out as a result of pressure from «some profiteers» and in the shadow of «the silence of officials.»

🔸He warned that «this annexation will have many negative effects and consequences for the World Heritage site of Persepolis in the long term.»

🔸The three buffer zones of Level One, Level Two, and Level Three of the ancient heritage of Persepolis are the protective boundaries of this World Heritage site, along with 215 other valuable historical sites in the Marvdasht plain.