The historical and cultural heritage of Iran includes a large number (c. 3000) of ancient rock arts, stone carvings, stone sculptures, stone works such as stone-built monuments, and stone-reliefs which date back to stone ages up to modern history. Most of these (c. 400) Iranian stone monuments are located in natural environments and outdoor spaces. The critical threats to these historical and cultural stone-built monuments include bioweathering processes as result of microbial and lichen colonization. This biological colonization generates stone disintegration and dissolution at the lichen-rock interface by means of biogeochemical and biogeophysical activities. This impact is added to physical weathering induced by water accumulation or impact, wind, freezing, and other environmental factors. The presence of lichens on ancient stone and brick monuments often have a further aesthetic effect. Based on the field observation and monitoring of lichens on National monuments and Unesco WHS site in Iran during 2012-2019, our assessment supports ca. 500 lichen species colonize stone and brick monuments. Ca. 250 lichens species are distributed in 10 different sites, namely Persepolis, Pasargadae, Gonbad-e Q?bus, Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, Bisotun, The Ensemble of Historical Sassanian Cities in Fars Province (Bishabpur, Firouzabad, Sarvestan), Soltaniyeh, Takht-e Soleyman, Tchogha Zanbil, and Susa UNESCO World Heritage sites. In the present overview, an attempt has been made to collect all the information available on the biodeteriogens present on different historic monuments of Iran and their effects on them and the risks for their conservation.
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