Mohammadhossein Dehghan Pour Farashah - Department of Architectural Conservation of Historical Buildings and Urban Areas, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Ehsan Aslani - Department of Art and Architecture, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Hosseini - Department of Architectural Conservation of Historical Buildings and Urban Areas, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Yazd city has long been one of the most important producers of handmade textiles in Iran. In the early of twentieth century, textile transformed to industrial setting. With the establishment of large factories, Yazd was recognized as one of the main hubs of textiles production in Iran. Unfortunately, this industry has been declining for decades since, most textile factories have been shut down. The heritage of those days is abandoned valuable buildings in terms of architectural style. This study proposes a strategic plan for conservation of the industrial heritage of Yazd textile factories with the aim of tourism development. The research method is qualitative-quantitative and in terms of purpose is applied. In this study, survey method and SWOT technique were used to collect data and analyze the current situation. Then, the internal factor evaluation matrix including strengths and weaknesses (IFE) and the external factor evaluation matrix including opportunities and threats (EFE) were calculated and based on them, the aggressive, conservative, competitive and defensive strategies were presented. In addition, by analyzing the findings of internal and external evaluation matrix (IE), it became clear that the priority is with aggressive strategies and Yazd textile factories in terms of capacity and potential for tourism development are faced with strength in the internal environment and with opportunity in the external environment. Based on the results, the strategies should be considered, such as holding tours to get acquainted with the industrial heritage, especially the textile industry in Yazd; considering Yazd textile factories as a place for seasonal and regional exhibitions; providing a master plan for the restoration and rehabilitation of textile factories; promoting industrial tourism attractions in Yazd on national and international levels, and conducting conferences to introduce successful experiences in the field of industrial heritage

Strategic Planning, Industrial Heritage, Conservation, Yazd, Tourism, Textile Factory