Hawraman is a mountainous region located within the provinces of Kurdistan and Kermanshah in western Iran and in the north-eastern Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The region has immense natural and historical value: valleys, springs, rivers and historical artifacts.
The Managing Director of Kurdistan’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism office, Mohsen Alavi, stated that eighty experts in various fields have conducted anthropological, archaeological, natural science, architectural and historical research in the area. He added that over 500 antiquities relating to the Paleolithic era have been discovered in this area.
Hawraman also includes 700 villages along the foothills of Mount Shaho and along the edge of the cities of Pawe and Meriwan cities in the region of Rojhelat (eastern Kurdistan) in Iran.
Huşeng Bazuvend, the governor of Kermanshah Province in Iran, also stated that they have worked hard to get Hawraman province included in UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List and have established a commission to that end with an approved budget. The commission consists of representatives from various organisations and state institutions.
Bazuvand commented that a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage listing could provide significant opportunities to develop tourism in the region.
A UNESCO observation committee is scheduled to visit Hawraman to assess its historical and cultural value over the next fortnight.
The file on Hawraman was submitted to UNESCO at the beginning of the year by the Directorate of Cultural Heritage. Umid Kadri, the director, stated that they have worked to eliminate any ‘technical obstacles’ that might stop Hawraman from being included in the list.
The file that was submitted to UNESCO also details cultural monuments in the region as well as the religious beliefs and practices of communities. The various cultural festivals in the region will be assessed by UNESCO which is also expected to visit 36 villages.
