Comments by the Marvdasht representative in the Iranian Parliament about the addition of 961 hectares to the city’s boundaries have raised widespread concern that Persepolis could be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is the first time the site has faced such a serious threat.
Amid ongoing warnings about potential damage to Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam, and Kaaba-ye Zartosht in Marvdasht due to subsidence, the representative announced the expansion of the city’s area by nearly 961 hectares—an action that threatens Persepolis’ status as a world heritage site.
According to Asr-e Iran, citing Faraz, this expansion significantly endangers the historical buffer zone of Persepolis. Should the cultural and historical landscape of the area be affected, UNESCO could place Persepolis on the List of World Heritage in Danger or remove it from the World Heritage List entirely.
Archaeological investigations indicate that nearly 460 hectares of the newly incorporated land lie within the secondary buffer zone of this UNESCO World Heritage site. These areas include parts of the ancient Firouzi region and the remains of the Achaemenid city of Persepolis, which have not yet been excavated.
After years of suspension due to the sensitivity of Persepolis’ heritage zone, the urban expansion plan has now moved forward, sparking concern among heritage specialists and archaeologists.
UNESCO has called on Iran to carefully manage the threats posed to the site.
Persepolis was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 (1358 in the Iranian calendar).
