The “Iranian Windmills” symposium was held on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 10:00 AM in the Negarkhaneh Hall of University of Tehran, as part of the Architect's Week programs.

The event opened with a lecture by Dr. Mohammad Hassan Talebian, professor in the Department of Conservation at the School of Architecture. In his talk, Dr. Talebian provided a brief introduction to Iranian windmills, highlighting their unique characteristics and distinctions. He also presented an overview of their historical background and technological evolution. These discussions were described as one of the initial steps toward preparing for the potential inscription of these structures on the UNESCO World Heritage List, underlining their exceptional value for the World Heritage Committee. Drawing on his extensive experience with World Heritage nomination dossiers, Dr. Talebian further elaborated on the significance of the windmills, as well as the challenges and opportunities along the path to their global recognition.

In the second part of the program, following the dispatch of a team of architectural heritage conservation students to windmill sites in South Khorasan, the students were given an opportunity to present summaries of their studies and proposed projects. Mohsen Bolandmartabeh discussed the issue of historical site boundaries and buffer zones, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and integrity in defining these areas. Negine Nafisi presented an overview of the current architectural condition of the windmills and the damages they have sustained, proposing several protective strategies. Lastly, Shahab Abbasi outlined UNESCO’s principles for managing World Heritage properties and addressed the management challenges and opportunities related to Iran’s windmill sites.

The next section featured contributions from the managers of national heritage windmill sites in the provinces of Razavi Khorasan, South Khorasan, and Sistan and Baluchestan. Rokkni, manager of the National Heritage Windmills Base in Razavi Khorasan Province, together with Takalou, director of tangible and intangible heritage registration for Razavi Khorasan and technical supervisor for the province’s windmills, presented a detailed report on the current situation of the Khaf, Nashtifan, and other regional sites, alongside the protective actions undertaken and planned.

Subsequently, Shabani, manager of the National Heritage Windmills Base in South Khorasan Province, reported on the establishment of a new windmill research center, newly identified and registered sites, and the significance of these properties. Barani, manager of the National Heritage Windmills Base in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, followed with a report on the distinctive features of the region’s windmills, their current status, and recent scientific and archaeological discoveries.

The symposium was also attended by Mokhtari, representative of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the executive coordinator for the windmills’ World Heritage nomination dossier. Following the event, a planning session was held with Dr. Talebian, site managers, and relevant experts to coordinate next steps toward the global inscription of Iran’s windmills.