Tehran, 21 January 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- The story of Bolaghi Gorge and inundation of Sivand Dam is still far from over due to refusal of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) to make a formal announcement on the date of Sivand Dam inauguration. This issue evoked strong opposition from cultural heritage enthusiasts and NGOs who are concerned with the fate of the historic site of Bolaghi Gorge, demanding Iranian authorities prevent flooding of the Dam.

 

The one-day seminar on latest archeological achievements in Bolaghi Gorge was held yesterday in Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran with the attendance of cultural heritage experts, archeologists, and more than 40 cultural heritage NGOs.

 

In this seminar, ICHTO was expected to present a comprehensive report on archeological excavations in Bolaghi Gorge and make clear whether the time has arrived for inundation of Sivand Dam or not. However, due to objections raised by those who took part in the seminar regarding inundation of Sivand Dam, representatives of ICHTO preferred not to make any announcement on the issue and wrapped up the session without any result.

 

During this summit, some prominent archeologists who were involved in the mega project of Bolaghi Gorge salvation talked about the importance of this project, its major achievements and the national and international feedbacks it received.

 

According to Masoud Azarnoush, archeologist and former director of ICHTO’s Archeology Research Center who was in charge of the first excavations in Bolaghi Gorge, the amount of work which has been done in the past three years in Bolaghi Gorge and the huge achievements in this historic site make this case unique in the history of Iran’s archeology.

 

Sadegh Malek Shahmirzadi, archeologist who has had lots of experiences in archeological sites of Iran and the United States, was another speaker of yesterday’s seminar. In part of his speech, Shahmirzadi said: “Until some 40 years ago, people did not show much interest toward archeological sites and the issue of cultural heritage was somehow unknown but today we are witnessing such a large gathering with the presence of a large number of experts and NGOs who show great concern for preserving cultural heritage of Iran and their heart is beating for Bolaghi Gorge as a historical and national heritage site.”

 

Abbas Alizadeh, archeologist and former research associate in the Oriental Institute and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations of University of Chicago, said: “I follow the news about Bolaghi Gorge both here in Iran and in the States. The Iranian opposition groups in America are trying to use the issue of Bolaghi Gorge to attain their political objectives. Therefore, this makes it absolutely important for the Iranian mass media to present the reality through pictures, films and reports.”

 

The majority of those who attended yesterday’s meeting categorically protested against flooding of Sivand Dam. Some were even holding placards to show their objections to inundation of the Dam. This is probably why the Iranian cultural heritage officials preferred not to make any announcements regarding date of Sivand Dam inauguration and left the session unfinished.

 

In an interview with CHN, Hassan Fazeli Nashli, director of Archeology Research Center of ICHTO announced that archeological excavations at Bolaghi Gorge have come to an end and the Research Center is not planning to allocate further budget to this project. “Inundation of Sivand Dam has nothing to do with the Research Center and the authorities of ICHTO are in charge of following the case,” added Fazeli Nashli.

 

Based on previous agreements between ICHTO and Iran’s Ministry of Energy, inundation of Sivand Dam starts once archeological excavations in Bolaghi Gorge are announced to have ended. However, the exact date of Dam inauguration has not been announced to this date.

 

It was anticipated that the date would be announced during the summit which was held yesterday but Fazeli Nashli told CHN that the aim of holding this seminar was just to announce latest archeological achievements in Bolaghi Gorge and nothing else.

 

According to Fazeli Nashli, archeologists have also confirmed that no further excavation is needed at Bolaghi Gorge. “Currently archeologists at Bolaghi Gorge are continuing their excavations in a palace denoted to Darius the Great, though this area will not be submerged by the inundation of the Dam. However, archeological excavations in other historical sites f Bolaghi Gorge such as the unearthed Achaemenid village, the wine production workshop, and other historical sites belonging to the fourth millennium BC have been completed,” he added.

 

Bolaghi Gorge, located 4 kilometers from the World Heritage Site of Pasargadae in Fars province, is one of the most important archeological sites in Iran where a large number of historical evidence including the remains of a village belonging to the Achaemenid dynastic era (550-330 BC), 6000 year-old clay kilns, one of the palaces of Achaemenid king Darius the Great, and numerous other archeological relics and architectural structures have been unearthed during emergency archeological excavations undertaken by Iranian and foreign archeologists in the past three years. With the flooding of Sivand Dam which was recently built in Bolaghi Gorge, hundreds of historical relics unearthed so far will be submerged.

 

 

Soudabeh Sadigh

foreigndesk@chn.ir