The petition, first issued by Iranian author and literary critic Mohammad Jafar Yahaqi on June 27, calls on Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Ali-Asghar Mounesan and Mohammad-Sadeq Mo’tamedian, the governor general of Khorasan Razavi, to lay the groundwork for the future inscription of the Iranian city on the UN cultural body’s World Heritage List, ISNA reported.

“Tous has been considered an important social and political city in Iran throughout centuries and hometown to some of the most prominent cultural figures in Iran, namely, Jabir ibn Hayyan, Ferdowsi, Imam Muhammad Ghazali, and Nasir al-Din al-Tousi, while Mehdi Akhavan-Sales and Mohammadreza Shajarian have been laid to rest in the city” the letter reads.

“Over the years, various efforts have been put in to develop and restore the city, and an inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List will surely double the global attention to the ancient city and Ferdowsi’s tomb,” it added.

Located 20km northwest of Mashhad, the city is best known for being home to the tomb of Abul-Qassem Ferdowsi, the 10th and 11th century Persian poet and author of ‘Shahnameh’ (The Book of Kings), which is one of the world’s longest epic poems created by a single poet.

Source: Iran Daily