The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Documents WHC/24/46.COM/8B and WHC/24/46.COM/INF.8B1,
- Inscribes Hegmataneh, Islamic Republic of Iran, on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iii);
- Takes note of the provisional Statement of Outstanding Universal Value:
Brief synthesis
Hegmateneh is important archaeological remains of Median, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid and Islamic periods. the name of the site is taken from the term “Hangmata”, which means ‘gathering place”. It is said that prior to the formation of the Medes Dynasty this place served as a centre for public gatherings. Herodotus brings reference of a gathering of the Medes wherein Diaco (Dayukku) is appointed king, in ancient and other resources, “Hegmataneh” is mentioned under different names, including “Ecbatana, Egbatana” in Greek, “Ecbatana, Ecbatanis Partierum” in Latin. Hegmataneh is as the capital of the Median Government in ancient times, a city which has been the capital and has been one the important government cities in different periods, wherein Cyrus the Great, the founder of the glorious Achaemenid Empire was born.
The Hegmataneh” is not only the capital of an important ancient civilization of Median Empire but also serving as the summer capital in the following periods, including the Achaemenid period, also, the archaeological remains in Hegmataneh present an exceptional testimony of the creative planning and architectural and urban solutions developed during the Parthian era that were designed through interactions amongst diverse ethnicities and religions.
Criterion (ii): The Hegmataneh exhibits important evidence of the cultural interchanges amongst the cultures and civilisations of the Middle East in the 1st millennium BCE. The archaeological remains of town planning and architecture of the Parthian period, as well as the presence of artefacts made for the royal palaces in Susa and Persepolis, testify to the craftsmanship of the masters of Hegmataneh and to the transfer of knowledge from Hegmataneh to other major ancient cities.
Criterion (iii): Hegmataneh provide exceptional evidence of the cultural, social, economic, and political developments of several civilisations occupying the Iranian Plateau since the 1st millennium BCE. Hegmataneh is amongst the ancient cities of the Middle East chosen as the capital of the Medes and continued to be one of the most important government seats through the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sasanian, and Islamic periods. the nominated property provides important and rare evidence of the Medes civilisation, it also presents important evidence of the cultures and civilisations that successively occupied the city. The archaeological remains present an exceptional testimony of the creative planning and architectural solutions developed during the Parthian era that were designed through interactions amongst diverse ethnicities and religions.
Integrity
The property area includes the archaeological remains, from the Median, Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian periods that has remained intact. the integrity of the nominated property is based on the creativity and innovation in urban planning and architecture found at the Hegmataneh hill archaeological site, where the evidence of together with the landscape of hill in the property area, testify to the multifaceted cultures and civilisations.
Authenticity
The authenticity of the nominated property is based on its forms and designs, materials and substances, uses and functions, locations and settings, and spirit and feeling. Important archaeological evidence of the Median, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras is preserved in situ on the Hegmataneh hill. archaeological finds from the early periods are also preserved and the excavated mudbrick walls have been conserved using various methods: covered with an overhead canopy, plastered with a layer of a traditional mix of mud and straw, covered with soil, or encased in protective shells. Some parts of the Hegmataneh fortification walls have been reconstructed with traditional materials for interpretation purposes.
Protection and management requirements
The property is state-owned and fully protected by law. organizations and protection teams have been established, and detailed management regulations and measures have been enacted. National law and bylaws, such as the Law for Protection of National Heritage (1930), the Bylaw Concerning Prevention of Unauthorised Excavation (1980), and the Bylaw on Conservation of Iranian Cultural Heritage (2002), regulate different aspects concerning protection, conservation, maintenance, and development. The national development plans and strategy documents, as well as conservation standards prepared by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Iran (IMCHTH) provide an additional set of national protective measures for the nominated property.
The Hegmataneh Base, the site-based management body of the IMCHTH, is the primary management authority for the nominated property and its buffer zone. It is directly responsible for all conservation actions, planning, and coordination in the designated property and buffer. the activities of the Base are supervised by the Hamedan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Head Office and the IMCHTH through its provincial branch. The work of the Hegmataneh of Hamedan Base is supported by a Steering Committee and a Technical Committee. The Steering Committee ensures administrative coordination amongst the central and local state bodies, academia, and experts. It also approves annual management plans, research project proposals, and annual technical reports by the Base. The Technical Committee manages the technical conservation issues and monitoring of the nominated property via cross-sectoral working groups for restoration, social policies, training, tourism, economic planning, security, urban services, and infrastructure. The Hegmataneh Base has an adequate budget and level of staffing to fulfil its statutory duties.
Tourism is amongst the priorities for the development of the historic city and is included in different urban plans and strategies. The National Tourism Development Plan and the Comprehensive Tourism Plan of Hamedan Province provide the policy framework for planning tourism development in the area. There is no visitor pressure in the nominated property except during Nowruz (Iranian New Year), when the pressure is mitigated by increasing the number of guards and guides and improving guidance for visitors to the archaeological sites. Planning, monitoring, and developing tourism and tourist products is the responsibility of the provincial branch of the IMCHTH, while the Hegmataneh Base manages visitors at the archaeological sites. Development of the tourism infrastructure is amongst the components of the short-, medium-, and long-term objectives of the management plan, which includes actions such as adapting historic buildings for tourism purposes, improving public spaces, lighting and street furniture, updating the entrance control system of the Hegmataneh archaeological site, enhancing tourist routes and visitor facilities, managing visitation time, educating visitors, training tour guides, and improving security.
There is an adequate legal and policy framework to encourage public participation in heritage conservation, as well as in cultural and economic life in general. Various departments of the provincial Office of the Governor-General, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting in Hamedan, non-governmental organisations, as well as the Hegmataneh and Historical Centre of Hamedan Base and the IMCHTH, share the responsibility for ensuring the participation of local communities, including women and youth, in different activities and programmes. Participation of local communities in the management of the nominated property is enabled through the Steering Committee of the Hegmataneh and Historical Centre of Hamedan Base. However, the representatives of the Committee are drawn mostly from institutional partners. The link with the community is made through the chairpersons or representatives of the Chamber of Guilds, City Council, and non-governmental organisations.
- Recommends that the State Party give consideration to the following:
- Submit the maps of the revised property boundaries of the archaeological remains,
- Develop the various research and conservation actions into a comprehensive conservation programme that allows for the long-term research, conservation, and presentation of the archaeological finds,
- Redefine the role and legal status of the management plan and consider the identification of attributes, the integration of local community and the conservation plan in the management plan,
- Further develop the documentation and enhance the monitoring system,
- Submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2025, for review by the Advisory Bodies, the integrated Management Plan;
- Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre by 1 December 2025, a report on the implementation of the above-mentioned recommendations for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 48th session.