New York/Quebec City  - UNESCO bolstered the World Heritage List Sunday adding fortified Armenian monasteries in Iran.

The monasteries, in the north-west of the country, consists of three sites of the Armenian Christian faith: St Thaddeus and St Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor. The structures - the oldest of which, St Thaddeus, dates back to the 7th century ­ are examples of Armenian architectural and decorative traditions.

"They bear testimony to very important interchanges with the other regional cultures, in particular the Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian," UNESCO said in a press release.

The monasteries were a major centre for the dissemination of Armenian culture into Azerbayjan and Persia.

"They are the last regional remains of this culture that are still in a satisfactory state of integrity and authenticity," UNESCO said. "Furthermore, as places of pilgrimage, the monastic ensembles are living witnesses of Armenian religious traditions through the centuries."

The monastery ensemble is the fourth cultural site to be added Sunday to UNESCOs World Heritage List since the start of the 32nd session of the World Heritage Committee. The three other properties added were: Le Morne Cultural Landscape in Mauritius, The Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih) in Saudi Arabia, and the Fujian Tulou in China. (dpa)