The World Heritage Committee,
1. Having examined Document WHC-13/37.COM/7B.Add,
2. Recalling Decision 36 COM 8B.23 , adopted at its 36th session (Saint-Petersburg, 2012),
3. Regrets that the State Party did not provide a state of conservation report as requested;
4. Reiterates its requests to the State Party to urgently revise the Meydan-e Atiq project, in particular its north-western corner in the immediate vicinity of the Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan, in a way that will:
a) not foresee any structural connection between the new galleries and the historic walls of the mosque or the structures connected to the mosque walls, which could transmit loads or vibrations to these,
b) provide ample passage for pedestrians, in particular through redesign of the entrance gate situation to the Meydan in the north-western corner, to ensure that the mosque and its adjacent historic structures are not endangered by crowds accessing the square during major events,
c) ensure that the overall design is appropriate to the local urban design tradition and setting of the mosque and sensitive to its Outstanding Universal Value,
d) following the availability of a revised project design (following the criteria listed above) as well as a revised implementation schedule, conduct a comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) and further archaeological excavation in order to ensure that the revised project proposal does not cause any negative impact on the historic structure of the mosque or its setting;
5. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre detailed information on the revision of the Meydan-e Atiq project, including independently prepared HIA for the revised proposal, for review by the Advisory Bodies;
6. Also reiterates its request to the State Party to invite an ICOMOS Advisory Mission to be financed by the State Party to assist in the revision of the Meydan-e Atiq project;
7. Reiterates its recommendation to the State Party to give consideration to the following:
a) ensure that the design and presentation of information in the property are based on the principle of minimal intervention in full respect for the aesthetic and religious significance of the Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan,
b) give priority attention to the challenge posed by the necessary removal of the bracings in the shabestani domed areas;
8. Further reiterates its requests to the State Party to strengthen the protection of the buffer zone and its wider setting and expand the monitoring mechanisms related to urban development, in particular through:
a) integration of the buffer zone in the Isfahan Master Plan and municipal by-laws;
b) development and adoption of an integrated conservation and Management Plan, with special sections on visitor management and risk-preparedness strategies;
9. Also reiterates its recommendation to the State Party that Heritage Impact Assessments are carried out for any future developments in the buffer zone, such as further rehabilitation of the surrounding historic bazaar or the envisaged ablution facilities to the north-west of the mosque, in particular if these are intended to be directly attached to the mosque complex or in its immediate vicinity, to ensure that any developments do not impact adversely on the property and its wider setting;
10. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2014 , a report on the state of conservation of the property, including progress made in the implementation of the above recommendations, for examination by the Committee at its 38th session in 2014.