TEHRAN—Over 70 percent of historical buildings, scattered across Aran-Bidgol county, central Isfahan province, need urgent restoration, a local tourism chief has said.A budget of 130 billion rials ($434,000) should be allocated to the restoration projects, Mehdi Mashhadi explained on Saturday.Some 450 historical sites and aging structures have been identified across the county so far, of which some 135 have been registered on the national heritage list, the official added.Aran-Bidgol is the gateway to the Maranjab desert and caravansary, which also draws thousands of domestic travelers each year.

The desert, which is a top destination for off-readers, leads to salt lake from the north, Band-e Rig and Desert National Park from the east, Masileh Desert, Hoz-e sultan, and Moreh Lakes from the west and eventually Aran and Bidgol from the south.Situated in Isfahan province, the town is surrounded by desert from the north and east, and thus it has a typical climate of hot and dry in summer, cold and dry in winter, and very little rainfall during the year.Last year, a team of Iranian archaeologists found remnants of a centuries-old network, which used to supply water to the underground city of Nushabad, located in the central district of Aran-Bidgol county.ABU/AFM