World Heritage Identification Number: 1585
World Heritage since: 2021
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇮🇷 Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
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The Trans-Iranian Railway: A Testament to Engineering and National Pride
The Trans-Iranian Railway, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, stands as a remarkable testament to engineering prowess, national resilience, and the spirit of collaboration. This expansive railway network stretches across 1,394 kilometers, connecting the Caspian Sea in the northeast with the Persian Gulf in the southwest, traversing diverse landscapes and climates.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The Trans-Iranian Railway connects the Caspian Sea in the northeast with the Persian Gulf in the southwest crossing two mountain ranges as well as rivers, highlands, forests and plains, and four different climatic areas. Started in 1927 and completed in 1938, the 1,394-kilometre-long railway was designed and executed in a successful collaboration between the Iranian government and 43 construction contractors from many countries. The railway is notable for its scale and the engineering works it required to overcome steep routes and other difficulties. Its construction involved extensive mountain cutting in some areas, while the rugged terrain in others dictated the construction of 174 large bridges, 186 small bridges and 224 tunnels, including 11 spiral tunnels. Unlike most early railway projects, construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway was funded by national taxes to avoid foreign investment and control.Encyclopedia Record: Trans-Iranian Railway
The Trans-Iranian Railway was a major railway building project started in Pahlavi Iran in 1927 and completed in 1938, under the direction of the then-Iranian monarch Reza Shah. It was entirely built with indigenous capital, and links the capital Tehran with Bandar Shahpur on the Persian Gulf in the south and Bandar Shah on the Caspian Sea in the north, via Ahvaz and Ghom. In 1961, under Reza Shah's son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, it was extended from Bandar Shah to a new terminus in Gorgan. During the land reforms of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1963, as part of the "White Revolution", the Trans-Iranian railway was extended to link Tehran to Mashhad, Tabriz and Isfahan.Additional Site Details
Area: 5,784 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 35.6583055556 , 51.3983333333
Image
© Alireza Shakernia, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
