The Director-General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Markazi Province announced the formation of a global registration file for the Arak Historical Bazaar Complex.
Mustafa Marzban stated: “Each country has a quota to register its historical monuments and buildings in the World Heritage List, and Iran can register one or two cases a year, and according to this restriction, the province Markazi has given priority to registering Arak Historical Bazaar Complex.
He added: “Based on this decision, the entire traditional market with inns, main and secondary rows, and extensions has been proposed for registration.”
Marzban said that a contract for the preparation of a world registration of this traditional market file has been signed in the past one or two years, adding that this file is being prepared by a consultant and will be ready by the end of the year and will be sent to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage.
He stated: The world registration of a historical site is conditional on various factors, including unique architecture, elimination of intrusions and occupations that affect the originality of the building, and the like. Due to the need to eliminate encroachments and seizures, the removal of the Khyber Bridge in the market area, which has overshadowed the view of this monument, is on the agenda.
Regarding the architecture and historical background of Arak Historical Bazaar Complex, Marzban, referring to the unique geometric and architectural symmetry of this complex, added: Arak market was built by Yusuf Khan Gorji with a life of about 200 years during the reign of Fath Ali Shah and was considered as the primary core of the city.
Arak Historical Bazaar Complex has an area of 14 hectares and is built in two rows of markets perpendicular to each other and based on a pre-planned design. Unlike other markets, its route is not free and curved, but the routes are regular and have geometric symmetry.