Prestigious UNESCO-sponsored Award Goes to Remote Kerman Village

At a ceremony held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the international Melina Mercury Prize was awarded to Meimand Village, a historical township located in the rocky mountains of Kerman province, the Iran Daily reported. The Iranian village won the prize for safeguarding the cultural heritage of historical lands.

A team of international experts selected Meimand for the award following thorough examination of nominees for the award submitted from different countries. Melina Mercury Award, which was initiated six years ago by the Greek government, includes a cash award of $20,000 and is sponsored by UNESCO and ICOMUS.

Melina Mercury was an internationally recognized Greek actress who won an award at Cannes Film Festival for her role in “Never on Sunday”. Mercury was also the Greek minister of culture and art for many years.

Ahmad Jalali, Iran´s representative to UNESCO and chairman of the General Assembly of World Heritage, said the choice of Meimand indicates the importance of the world body to cultural heritage.