Iran’s Tabas UNESCO Global Geopark wins top two prizes in international competition

Iran’s Tabas UNESCO Global Geopark has won first and second places in two categories at the international “Geoparks and You” competition, highlighting the region’s geological and natural heritage and the role of local communities in promoting it internationally.

Adela Sadat Sajjadi-Pour, a sixth-grade student, won first place in the “Geopark Five Senses” category with her work titled “Experience Morteza Ali Spring with Me.”

Her work presents a student’s perspective and personal experience of one of the geological and natural attractions of Tabas UNESCO Global Geopark.

Seyed Hamid Haghighi secured second place in the “Visual Odyssey of the Earth” category with a photograph depicting a camel caravan in the Halvan Desert ecosystem against the backdrop of the Kalmand mountain ranges.

The visual work portrays the camel as one of the elements of the desert alongside the region’s beautiful mountainous scenery.

The National Commission for UNESCO in Iran congratulated the winners, organizers, and local community involved with the Tabas Geopark, praising the participation and achievements of its representatives in the international competition.

Vesal Yahya Sheibani, Director of Tabas UNESCO Global Geopark, highlighted the significance of this achievement for Iran’s UNESCO Global Geoparks, stating that the participation of Tabas UNESCO Global Geopark, as Iran’s only UNESCO Global Geopark, and its achievement of first and second places provided a valuable opportunity to introduce Iran’s capacities within the Global Geoparks Network.

The “Geoparks and You” competition was held exclusively for residents of UNESCO Global Geoparks in three categories: “Geopark Five Senses,” “Stories of Rocks,” and “Visual Odyssey of the Earth.”

Entries from UNESCO Global Geoparks in different countries were evaluated as part of the competition.

The competition was held as part of the ninth Asia-Pacific Geoparks Network (APGN) Symposium, hosted by Malaysia’s Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark in September 2026.

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The two awards highlight the natural and geological potential of Tabas UNESCO Global Geopark, as well as the contribution of residents to documenting, presenting, and interpreting the area’s natural and geological heritage.

Tabas UNESCO Global Geopark, situated in the northwest of South Khorasan province, has historically gained recognition as a transportation highway, facilitating travel from the southern and western regions to the eastern and northeastern parts of Iran, owing to its distinctive geographical positioning.

The geopark has been referred to as Iran’s geological paradise by numerous geological thinkers and scientists owing to its abundant geological wealth, showcasing the uninterrupted evolution of the planet from the Precambrian to the Early Cretaceous periods.

Within this geopark, the most comprehensive Paleozoic succession in all of West Asia can be found.

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