You may have heard the name UNESCO many times. But what exactly is UNESCO, and what does it mean when a site is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List?
UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is an international organization founded in the aftermath of the Second World War on the belief that lasting peace cannot be achieved through political and economic agreements alone. Peace must also be built in the minds and cultures of people. UNESCO’s Constitution was adopted in London in 1945 and entered into force in 1946. Its headquarters are in Paris, France.
One of UNESCO’s best-known areas of work is the protection of the world’s cultural and natural heritage—heritage whose value extends beyond the borders of any one country and is considered important to humanity as a whole.
The Abbas Abad Garden in Behshahr is one such World Heritage site. In 2011, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the components of the serial property known as “The Persian Garden.”
UNESCO at a Glance
Full name:
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Established: 1945
Headquarters: Paris, France
Main areas of work: Education, science, culture, communication and information
One of its key missions: Protecting and promoting cultural and natural heritage of outstanding universal value
UNESCO seeks to help build a world in which greater understanding of different cultures and their heritage contributes to mutual understanding and peace. Its Constitution famously states:
“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.”
This is one of the best-known passages in UNESCO’s Constitution and reflects the organization’s fundamental view of the role of culture and heritage in building peace.
What Is UNESCO World Heritage?
Not every historic monument, archaeological site or remarkable natural landscape is UNESCO World Heritage.
The World Heritage List comprises cultural, natural and mixed sites that UNESCO considers to possess Outstanding Universal Value—meaning that their significance is so exceptional that their protection is considered important not only to one nation or country, but to humanity as a whole.
The main framework for this system is the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted in 1972. The Convention brings States Parties together in an international system of cooperation to identify, protect, conserve and transmit the world’s most valuable heritage to future generations.
World Heritage inscription, therefore, is far more than an honorary title. It recognizes that a site possesses values of global significance and that safeguarding those values is a shared responsibility of humanity.
What Are the Criteria for World Heritage Inscription?
UNESCO uses 10 selection criteria to evaluate potential World Heritage sites. To be inscribed, a site must demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value and meet at least one of these criteria. Other factors—including authenticity, integrity, protection and management—are also considered in the evaluation.
The criteria encompass a wide range of values, including:
- Representing a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- Exhibiting an important interchange of human values in architecture, technology, the arts or landscape design;
- Bearing unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or civilization;
- Being an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural ensemble or landscape illustrating a significant stage in human history;
- Representing significant interactions between people and the natural environment;
- Being directly or tangibly associated with traditions, ideas, works of art or literature of outstanding universal significance;
- As well as criteria relating to natural phenomena, geological history and biodiversity.
Put simply, World Heritage inscription means that a site matters not only to the history of a particular country, but also to our understanding of human history and culture as a whole.
Why Does World Heritage Inscription Matter?
Being placed on the World Heritage List brings greater international attention to a site and can help strengthen its protection, management and presentation to the public.
One of the most important benefits is that the site becomes part of an international framework for heritage protection. Under specific conditions and within the framework established by the Convention, States Parties may also request international assistance from the World Heritage Fund for certain conservation and management projects, emergency measures and nomination-related activities. Such assistance is not automatic; requests must be submitted by eligible authorities within a State Party.
World Heritage status can also raise public awareness, strengthen the cultural standing of a site and encourage greater attention to its protection. UNESCO itself recognizes the prestige and status associated with inscription as factors that can help raise awareness about heritage conservation.
However, the significance of World Heritage inscription should not be reduced to tourism or international recognition. Above all, inscription is a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect heritage and pass it on to future generations.
UNESCO and Iran
Iran is one of UNESCO’s long-standing Member States and has been a member of the organization since 1948.
Today, Iran is one of the region’s leading countries in terms of World Heritage. According to the current information provided by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, in 2026 Iran has 30 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, including 28 cultural and 2 natural properties.
Among the best-known are Persepolis, Pasargadae, Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, Chogha Zanbil, the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, the Historic City of Yazd, the Cultural Landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat, and, of course, The Persian Garden.
The Persian Garden: A Heritage Beyond a Garden
“The Persian Garden” is not the name of a single garden. It is a serial World Heritage property comprising nine historic gardens in different parts of Iran.
These gardens were created in different geographical regions and climatic conditions, yet they share fundamental principles such as geometry, spatial organization, the presence of water, vegetation, and the relationship between natural and built elements.
The Persian Garden was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011 and comprises nine gardens located in different provinces of Iran. Abbas Abad Garden is one of them.
UNESCO considers the Persian Garden to be the product of a combination of knowledge and artistic traditions in fields including water engineering and management, architecture, botany, agriculture and landscape design—knowledge that evolved over centuries in response to Iran’s diverse climatic conditions.
Abbas Abad Garden on the World Heritage List
Abbas Abad Garden in Behshahr was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011 as one of the nine gardens that make up the serial property of The Persian Garden.
The site holds a distinctive place among the components of this World Heritage property. Abbas Abad Garden was created in close relationship with the natural landscape of the Behshahr region, its topography and its water resources, offering an outstanding example of the harmony between nature, architecture, water and engineering in the Persian garden tradition.
In UNESCO’s assessment, The Persian Garden has been recognized as possessing Outstanding Universal Value under five criteria: (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) and (vi). These values reflect the Persian Garden’s significance as a masterpiece of human creative genius, an example of the interchange of human values, an exceptional testimony to cultural traditions, an outstanding example of garden design, and a site associated with important cultural and artistic developments.
Among these elements, water is fundamental to the Persian garden. It serves a practical purpose in irrigation and resource management while also playing a central role in the garden’s spatial organization and aesthetic character. UNESCO identifies the systems for supplying, managing and circulating water as among the features contributing to the Outstanding Universal Value of the Persian Garden.
At Abbas Abad Garden, this relationship between water, architecture and nature can be seen particularly clearly. It is a defining part of the site’s historic identity and its World Heritage value.
Why Is Abbas Abad Garden a World Heritage Site?
When we walk through Abbas Abad Garden, our first impression may simply be that of a beautiful historic garden, surrounded by Safavid structures, water and a natural landscape.
But World Heritage inscription invites us to see the site on a much larger scale.
Abbas Abad Garden is not simply a historic site in northern Iran; it is part of the story of the Persian garden tradition that has evolved over thousands of years.
It is a story of how people have used geometry, architecture, water management and an understanding of nature to create spaces that are both functional and meaningful; spaces that work in harmony with their natural surroundings while becoming an integral part of the culture and art of a land.
For this reason, the significance of Abbas Abad Garden lies not only in the age of its structures or the beauty of its landscape, but also in the knowledge, ideas and relationship between people and nature embodied in its design.
World Heritage Inscription: A Privilege and a Responsibility
World Heritage inscription is not the end of the journey.
On the contrary, it marks the beginning of a long-term responsibility to protect and properly manage the site. States Parties to the Convention commit themselves to identifying, protecting, conserving and transmitting World Heritage to future generations.
That is why World Heritage does not belong only to the past; it is a legacy entrusted to the future.
Every visitor who comes to Abbas Abad Garden today also becomes part of this responsibility: by understanding the garden’s values, respecting its natural environment and historic structures, and helping preserve it for those who will walk here after us.
How Does a Site Become a World Heritage Site?
Inscription on the World Heritage List is a lengthy and specialized process. It is not achieved simply by submitting an application.
In broad terms, the process involves the following main stages:
1. Identification and Inclusion on the Tentative List
A country first places the sites it is considering for nomination on its Tentative List.
2. Preparation of the Nomination Dossier
A detailed nomination dossier is prepared, covering the site’s historical, cultural or natural significance, boundaries, Outstanding Universal Value, state of conservation, authenticity, integrity and management plan.
3. Expert Evaluation
Depending on the nature of the site, the nomination is reviewed and evaluated by the relevant advisory bodies to the World Heritage Convention, including ICOMOS or IUCN.
4. Review by the World Heritage Committee
The nomination is then considered by the World Heritage Committee.
5. Decision
The Committee may inscribe the site on the World Heritage List, defer the decision, request additional information, or decide not to inscribe it.
World Heritage inscription is therefore the result of an international expert evaluation process—not simply a promotional designation.
Frequently Asked Questions About UNESCO and World Heritage
Does UNESCO Give Money to Every World Heritage Site?
No. World Heritage inscription does not automatically provide funding. Under specific conditions, States Parties may request international assistance from the World Heritage Fund for certain conservation, management and emergency projects. Such assistance is granted according to established rules and procedures.
Does UNESCO World Heritage Inscription Change Ownership of a Site?
No. Inscription on the World Heritage List does not, in itself, transfer ownership of a site to UNESCO. The primary responsibility for protecting and managing the site remains with the State Party, and the site continues to be managed under the laws and heritage protection systems of the country concerned.
For the gardens included in The Persian Garden, UNESCO likewise specifies that they remain protected under Iran’s national cultural heritage legislation.
Can a World Heritage Site Be Removed from the List?
Yes. World Heritage inscription is not necessarily permanent and unchangeable. If a site’s Outstanding Universal Value is seriously compromised, or if the conditions required for remaining on the List are no longer met, established procedures are available to assess its status. In exceptional circumstances, a property can be removed from the World Heritage List.
Is World Heritage Status Only Important for Tourists?
No. Tourism is only one possible outcome of World Heritage inscription. More importantly, inscription places a site within an international framework for its protection, management and transmission to future generations.
Why Was Abbas Abad Garden Inscribed on the World Heritage List?
Abbas Abad Garden was inscribed as one of the nine gardens that make up the serial World Heritage property of The Persian Garden. The property was recognized as having Outstanding Universal Value because of its historical, cultural, architectural and landscape values, as well as the knowledge associated with water management and the adaptation of Persian gardens to different environments. These values are reflected in five UNESCO criteria.
How Many Gardens Are Included in The Persian Garden?
The Persian Garden comprises nine historic gardens located in different parts of Iran. Each represents a distinct expression of the Persian garden tradition shaped by different geographical and climatic conditions. Abbas Abad Garden is one of these nine gardens.
Discover World Heritage
Understanding UNESCO and the meaning of World Heritage helps us see Abbas Abad Garden as more than simply a tourist destination.
The garden is part of a heritage whose significance extends beyond Iran’s borders and connects it to a wider body of cultural and historical values of global importance.
Here, you are experiencing a part of Iran’s heritage—and a part of the shared heritage of humanity.
[Discover the History of Abbas Abad Garden →]
[Explore the Attractions of Abbas Abad Garden →]
[The Persian Garden on the Official UNESCO Website →]
