Updated

Tehran Times reported on November 14, 2026, that Iran's historic pigeon towers in Isfahan province could be nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status. The report called for comprehensive documentation, comparative research and stronger conservation measures to establish their global significance. The report said Alireza Izadi, director-general at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, raised the prospect of international recognition at a meeting in Falavarjan, and called for a comprehensive nomination dossier. Architect Arman Farahmand said the towers, many from the Safavid era, were functional mud-brick structures built to house pigeons and collect their droppings for use as fertilizer, and that detailed surveys are needed. Researcher Sohrab Nikpey linked them to melon cultivation in central Iran, and Mahtab Rastegar, a World Heritage policy expert, said nomination would require proof of Outstanding Universal Value through credible scientific evidence and comparative research. No nomination has been submitted, and the report did not give a timeline for any application.