Ekbatan Ekbatan Ekbatan Town ( ) is a planned town in western Tehran, Iran. It is located approximately five kilometers west of central Tehran. The town is named after Ecbatana, the capital city of the ancient Median Empire around 700 BC. It was the first capital of ancient Iranians to be established in Western Asia, and is the ancestor of the modern city of Hamedan. The word "Ekbātān" is a variant of "Ecbatana" ( ) which derives from Old Persian "Haŋgmetana", meaning "place of gathering". The construction of Ekbatan was started in 1975, for the purpose of mass housing. It was
Ancient City of Aleppo the idea of "preserving the traditional architectural style of Ancient Aleppo" paving the way for prominent local activists, among them Adli Qudsi, to convince UNESCO to declare the Ancient City of Aleppo as a World Heritage Site in 1986. Several international institutions joined efforts with local authorities and the Aleppo Archaeological Society, to rehabilitate the old city by accommodating contemporary life while preserving the old one. The governorate and the municipality were implementing serious programmes directed towards the enhancement of the ancient city and Jdeydeh quarter. The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and Aga Khan Foundation (within the frames of Aga