Alireza Izadi, head of Iran’s Office for the Registration of Cultural Heritage, told ISNA that Afghanistan must obtain Iran’s consent to register the Herat/Behzad painting school with UNESCO.
Izadi said that when Iran sought to register the rubab with the UN cultural organization, UNESCO asked Iran to secure Afghanistan’s approval. He added that after negotiations, the two countries agreed to register the rubab jointly at Afghanistan’s request.
He stressed that “Iranian painting” has already been registered with UNESCO and that “the Behzad school, with its form, features, and identity, cannot be registered without Iran’s name.”
Izadi said Afghanistan can add its name under the existing “Iranian painting” file in UNESCO as one of the inheritors of the Herat school, stating that “this style also flourishes in Afghanistan.”
He noted that much of the region’s cultural heritage has shared roots, and that Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan emerged within a broad civilizational sphere. Therefore, he said, it is natural that many cultural elements are common among these lands.
Izadi added that under current circumstances, “absolute ownership” cannot be assigned to such heritage.
