In 1933, a department was founded within the
Ministry of National Education for the conservation of the ruins of antiquity. After the establishment of the
Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1971, the department became an office of this new ministry. Following a series of name changes, finally in 2003, it was renamed "Cultural Assets and Museums Department" (). The Committees on Conservation of Cultural Assets are province-based subdivisions of this department at the ministry. ==List of committees==