TEHRAN – Restoration work is scheduled to commence on the English Graveyard in the southwestern Bushehr province, the deputy provincial tourism chief has announced.

As a tourist destination and historical site, the Qajar-era (1789-1925) cemetery will be open to the public once the project is completed, Nasrollah Ebrahimi said on Friday.

“The project will be carried out in collaboration with Bushehr Municipality,” the official said.

Some of the cemetery’s historically significant and valuable gravestones, which are being kept in the province’s cultural heritage department, will also be reinstalled in their original spots after the project is completed, the official added.

The English Graveyard is the final resting place of British officers and soldiers who were killed during the 1856 invasion of Persia and World War I in the port city of Bushehr.

The majority of the invaders were killed in the fight against Colonel Baqer Khan Tangestani and Rais Ali Delvari, national heroes of Iran who organized popular resistance against the British troops which had invaded the country in the nineteenth century.

The Persian sign of the cemetery reads “the graveyard of English invaders,” which recalls the days of English colonialism as well as the resistance of the brave people of Bushehr.

The graveyard is on the national heritage list but has been abandoned for years.

With over 6,000 years of history and significant monuments from the Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras, Bushehr Province is one of Iran’s most important historical centers.

Besides its cultural heritage, beautiful beaches and lush palm groves make it an attractive destination for world travelers.

The historical and architectural monuments of Bushehr include Islamic buildings like mosques and praying centers, mansions, old towers, castles, as well as gardens.

When it comes to cultural attractions, there are many historical mounds in Bushehr including Tall-e Khandaq with Sassanid architectural style, Tall-e Marv located near an Achaemenid Palace, and Qajar era Malek al-Tojar Mansion. Qajar era Kazeruni Mansion, which has been inscribed on the World Heritage List, is another attraction that world travelers love to see among various ancient sites.

ABU/AFM