🌲 Hyrcanian Forests
Vaz (East) — UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mazandaran Province
Vaz (East) is one of the components of the Hyrcanian Forests, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated for its exceptional biodiversity and ecological value. Situated in the Mazandaran Province of Iran, this specific area represents a crucial part of this ancient and unique forest ecosystem.
- Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019
- Part of ancient Tertiary forests, 25–50 million years old
- Located in Mazandaran Province, southern Caspian coast, Iran
- Home to Persian leopards, brown bears, and numerous endemic plant species
Vaz (East) is a component of the Hyrcanian Forests, one of Earth's oldest continuous forest ecosystems. Situated in Mazandaran Province along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, this protected area represents a critical section of a primeval forest that survived multiple Ice Ages. The site's exceptional biodiversity and evolutionary significance earned it UNESCO World Heritage status in 2019, recognizing its outstanding universal value as a living archive of ancient ecological systems ...