Purpose – This paper aims at analyzing the state of participatory governance and management together with the sustainable development principles in a rural cultural landscape, focusing on the specific case of Takht-e Soleyman World Heritage Site (WHS).\ud Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the results of an empirical study carried out within the boundaries of a well-defined Iranian location, the Takht-e Soleyman WHS. It is based on a rigorous theoretical analysis, accompanied by in-depth interviews with the key actors in the heritage management and governance sectors, and large-scale surveys of the local population through the circulation of a questionnaire.\ud Findings – A measurable difference between the demonstrated and accepted theory and the participatory governance and management system implemented in Takht-e Soleyman WHS was observed, where the local community influence was found to be rather insignificant. Although the management plan of the site contains explicit clauses recommending and specifying the role of local community participation, strategies and mechanisms for implementing these measures are clearly under present. \ud Originality/value – Participatory governance and management in a rural cultural landscape WHS are challenging concepts and the instances of their implementation require thorough analysis. The study detailed in this paper makes a valuable contribution to the debate on the design and implementation of participatory governance and management systems in this field by examining the actual extent of successful implementation of theoretical values in the case of Takht-e Soleyman WHS and identifying the key factors, which contribute to this state.\ud Keywords Participatory governance and management, Rural cultural landscape, Sustainable development, Takht-e Soleyman WHS \ud Type of paper Research pape

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