The committee of UNESCO’s World Heritage voted to add Iran’s Hyrcanian forests to its World Heritage List, praising the area for its “remarkable” biodiversity. The ancient forest (Hyrcanian) located in northern Iran run 530 miles (850 kilometers) along the coast of the Caspian Sea, according to the global body.
Indeed, 44 percent of Iran’s known vascular plants found in the Hyrcanian area. “Their floristic biodiversity is remarkable,” UNESCO said. This amazing forest, which date back up to 50 million years, are also home to the Persian leopard and nearly 60 other mammal species, as well as 160 bird species.
They were just one of two natural sites added to the UNESCO list on Friday and the other one is in China. Lut Desert was Iran’s only other natural site listed by UNESCO located southwest, which gained the status three years ago.
The Islamic republic of Iran also has 22 cultural sites on the World Heritage List.