A museum for the world’s million-year-olds

The Hyrkani Forests were registered as the second natural heritage of Iran according to the 9 criteria, number 1584, in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and now all those who have the heritage of documents or objects in this regard are invited to cooperate to form the Hyrcani Forests Museum as best as possible.

The million-year-old Hyrkani forests, which is part of it in Gilan, were registered globally on July 10, 2019 at the 43rd UNESCO World Assembly, and now in the fourth year of this, Khoshain, the manager of the world heritage base of the Hyrkani forests of Gilan, from all interested parties, organizations, environmental activists, Thinkers, experts and nature lovers have been requested to cooperate in preparing documents and objects based on the given information while presenting their suggestions for the best possible formation of the Hyrkanian Forests Museum.
These forests were registered as the second natural heritage of Iran in the UNESCO World Heritage List so that this unique ancient heritage will remain in the name of Iran and for the world forever.
The Hyrcanian forests or the forests of northern Iran, with a history of 25 to 50 million years of evolution, are stretched like a green strip along 850 kilometers of the southern shores of the Caspian Sea. High precipitation and altitude changes, diversity in ecological conditions from east to west, unparalleled distribution of plant and animal species are the prominent features of these unique forests.
These forests are referred to as “living fossils” or “natural museums” and the mother of the young forests of Europe and North America; Because it is the origin and one of the most important refuges of Western Eurasia for plant species remaining from the third geological period, rare and endangered types of plants and animals, and unique local, regional and global native species.
Although the history of thousands of years of coexistence with humans indicates many damages to these ancient and unique forests, but in the steep and inaccessible slopes and high altitudes, large parts of the Hyrcanian forests go through their natural evolution process and lead us to Let’s try to protect this valuable ancient treasure.
In July 2018, at the 43rd UNESCO World Assembly in Azerbaijan-Baku, Hyrkani Forests was registered as the second natural heritage of Iran in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Protected areas of Siahroud, Rudbar, Gesht Rudkhan and Lisar with an area of ​​58 thousand 534 hectares are located in Gilan province.

A museum with the purpose of preservation for the future generation of the guardian of the world heritage site

Hyrkani Forests of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Gilan said: The natural heritage of Hyrkanians includes 12 sites in five provinces of the country, including three sites in Gilan, and the decision is to educate the people about their preservation for their sustainability.
Fariba Babaei stated: Hyrkanian is not just a natural work, it is thousands of years of human evolutionary history, a combination of culture and nature, and we want to emphasize the cultural and branding aspects of these million-year-olds.
He clarified: Therefore, herbarium sample (a collection of dried and preserved plants and their related information that is used for scientific studies) plant species, taxidermy sample of animal species, fixed insect samples and fossils of plant and animal species as well as seeds of species Forest and hand-planted trees, old photos of the forest, each of which can be a souvenir for future generations of this world heritage for our children in Hyrkanian Museum.

He said: biographies and pictures of famous war scientists, books, documents, publications, symbols and old posters, old aerial photos of the forest, tools and equipment for measuring, statistics and exploitation of the forest, traditional tools used in the life of the people of the Hyrkan region, such as boats , rice storage and agricultural tools, etc., which are made from forest trees, are another part of the relics that can be exposed in this museum.

Fariba Babaei explained: The location of the Hyrkani Forests Museum with the support and supervision of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Gilan in Rudbar city with the aim of getting to know the world heritage of the Hyrkani Forests, increasing the level of public information about this valuable natural heritage and spreading the culture of conservation. It is done and launched from nature.
He clarified: In this museum, there is information about biodiversity, natural history, archeology, indigenous knowledge, the relationship between man and nature, the introduction of forest scientists, changes in the level of Hyrcanian forests from the past to now, tools and equipment used in forest science from Iran. Ancient will be presented to this day.

The supervisor of the local base of the world heritage of the Hyrkani forests of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Gilan, while visiting the ancient tree of Talash on the occasion of the anniversary of the world registration of the Hyrkani forests, said: “Old trees are considered valuable genetic, botanical, cultural and even historical reserves in any part of the world. Many efforts are made to preserve and protect them. Superior genes, suitable natural environments, people’s special attention to the proper production of trees, placement in historical and religious places, as well as certain beliefs are the reasons for the exceptional longevity of old trees.

Babaei added: The basic studies of identification and propagation of old trees can introduce Iran in the international arena as a country with valuable genetic resources in the field of environment and forest. In addition to the ecological values, these trees can be an attractive tourist destination for many nature lovers, which has a great impact on the empowerment of the villagers and the tourism economy of the region.
He said: In this regard, the registration file of the ancient yew tree of Benun village with an approximate age of 470 to 520 years has been prepared and it is in the process of being registered in the national heritage list of Iran. It is hoped that by registering this very valuable old tree, a positive step will be taken in the direction of effective and sustainable protection of this old tree and the development of tourism in the region.

Art, a pleasant language to protect the Hyrcanians

The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Gilan says: Hyrkani forests are a refuge for various species of endangered wildlife and plants, and the three sites of Hyrkani forests located in the cities of Rudbar, Talash and Foman are a valuable heritage of the civilization of the people of Gilan.
But Jahani stated: Several factors such as human encroachments, villa construction, dam construction, illegal logging, wood smuggling, garbage, excessive livestock grazing and illegal hunting are among the things that threaten this valuable heritage of the province and this general administration is trying to is to use the capacities created through the registration of these sites in the UNESCO World Heritage List to properly protect and protect them.
He stated that there are species in the Hyrcanian forests that may appear to the eyes of ordinary people to be just a tree or a plant, while these are fossil species and do not exist anywhere in the world, and the only place where they are left is in this part of the earth. It is our duty to emphasize the expansion of environmental protection culture with the pleasant language of art.
The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Gilan called the creation of the museum as one of the ways to emphasize the preservation of the identity and added: In addition to the museum, costume designers, painters, photographers and other artists have been asked to work in the field of education. To protect this world natural heritage because benefiting from the language of art is pleasant for the society.
Among the sites registered in the World Heritage List, natural sites have the highest level of protection due to their high vulnerability. Any intrusion and violation of protection regulations in these sites that lead to the destruction of the integrity of the registered sites and the threat of their outstanding global values, will lead to the risk of removing these sites from the World Heritage List.
In the implementation of the law of Iran’s accession to the Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) approved by the Islamic Council 1353, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, the map and protection regulations related to the natural work “Hyrcani Forests” on July 3, 1400 No. 8367/14002100 has been notified to Gilan Governorate. According to these laws, the area and privacy of the said work is under the supervision of this ministry, and any intrusion and violation of the protection rules is considered a crime, and the perpetrators will be subject to legal punishments.
According to these protection rules, any encroachment, construction, demolition, excavation, embankment, entry of heavy machinery, cutting down trees, bush cutting, encroachment on the field and privacy and in general any destruction leads to the loss of the integrity of the work. and threatening its outstanding global values ​​is prohibited; And carrying out any activities, including tourism, in these areas will only be possible with the permission and supervision of the Hirkani base office.
5 thousand and 500 historical works have been identified in Gilan, of which 1,235 works from Gilan have been registered in the list of national works and 23 museums are active in the province, of which 13 specialized museums have been established in the last 2 years and during the mentioned years Object submission to Gilan museums has increased; So, in the latest cases, a number of valuable books were donated to the Museum of Natural Heritage and Biodiversity of Gilan, 103 luxurious containers of tea culture were donated to the Museum of Kashif Al-Sultaneh in Lahijan, and in the latest case, an embroidered Rashti tableau was donated to the specialized museum of this art.