The Heritage of the Sky is a project to raise public awareness of dark skies and the impact of light pollution by running campaigns, citizen science and education and outreach projects. Our mission is to promote and safeguard natural, cultural, and historical astronomy heritage sites, including education, outreach and development through international cooperation in an online portal. The sky, our common and universal heritage, forms an integral part of the total environment that is perceived by mankind. This heritage is significant for the recognition and safeguarding of cultural properties and of cultural or natural landscapes that transcribe the relationship between mankind and the sky.

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''Over the Plateau of Iran' Photo Contest was a highlight program of the project in the framework of IAU100. The contest was open to anyone of any age, from natural, cultural, and historical astronomy heritage locations in Iran; to both professional and amateur photographers in the world. Participants took photos of astronomical and historical monuments or nightscape photography from dark sky national parks and also provided a detailed explanation - storytelling from a relevant site - alongside with each photo.

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According to the contest theme of “natural, cultural, and historical heritage,” the submitted astrophotos were judged in four categories by ten international and experienced judges from who have been photographing nightscapes since years.

The contest public message is to preserve last remaining natural night environments and night skies in the world, supporting efforts by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and UNESCO–IAU Astronomy and World Heritage Thematic Initiative.

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This night sky contest organized by Saros Science Popularization Team in partnership with Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism in Iran and SnappTrip and supported by the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach.