Selected Collection of Qajar Era Maps of Iran

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
Selected Collection of Qajar Era Maps of Iran
Greatest extent of the Qajar
Country	Iran
Reference	The Selected Collection
Region	Middle East
Inscription	2013

The Selected Collection of Qajar Era Maps of Iran is a historical archive housed at the Center for Documents and Diplomatic History of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran. This collection comprises approximately 500 hand-drawn or lithographic maps from the Qajar period (1789–1925), offering valuable insights into the cartographic and geopolitical landscape of Iran during that time. ^{[1] [2]}

The maps in this collection utilize measurement units common in that era, such as zar (a traditional Persian cubit) and farsang (a Persian league, roughly equal to 6.24 kilometers). They cover a diverse range of subjects, including:

• Maps of cities, villages, and settlements across Iran.
• Water resources and traditional methods of water transportation.
• Borderlines and territorial divisions.
• Various regions of Iran, some of which were later renamed or separated due to political changes.

Due to their historical significance, these maps serve as an essential resource for researchers studying Iran's social, political, legal, and geographical transformations. They also provide crucial insights into Iran's regional influence and territorial changes over time.^[1]

In 2013, the collection was inscribed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register, recognizing its historical and documentary value for global heritage.^[1][2]

The maps are preserved under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with ongoing efforts to digitize and catalog them for academic and research purposes. Scholars from various fields, including history, geography, and political science, frequently utilize the collection to analyze historical shifts in Iran's borders and urban development.^[1]

Similar historical cartographic archives exist in institutions such as the National Library and Archives of Iran and international museums holding Persian manuscripts and maps from the Qajar period.

The Selected Collection of Qajar Era Maps of Iran remains an invaluable reference for understanding the historical geography of Iran and its regional dynamics.^[1]

• List of Memory of the World Register in Iran

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