Tehran, 25 June 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk) – It has been heard that Iran is in charge of giving a clear explanation for railway construction near Naqsh-e Rostam historic site in Fars province during the 31^st session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee which is currently in progress in Christchurch, New Zealand.

 

It seems that passing a train just 500 meters distance of Naqsh-e Rostam which is supposed to be inscribed in list of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites as an annex of Persepolis world heritage site has raised the concern of UNESCO towards this issue and the possible damages the railway may pose to this Achaemenid site. That is why UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is determined to ask Iranian representatives to give an explanation about the case in its 31^st session which is currently held in New Zealand.

 

According to Mohammad Hassan Talebian, head of Parse Pasargadae Research Center, based on recent decisions made by the technical council after getting the approval of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) the railway should pass next to the road in an attempt to minimize the possible damages to Naqsh-e Rostam historic site. “Parse Pasargadae Research Center will strongly resist against passing of railway near Naqsh-e Rostam historic site,” said Talebian.  

 

Based on the new path suggested by technical council of Parse Pasargadae Research Center, the railway is supposed to pass almost one-kilometer distance of Naqsh-e Rostam.

 

An embankment spoiling the landscape of the historic site of Naqsh-e Rostam was recently constructed for the railway track about 400 meters from the monument. This is while the Parse- Pasargadae Research Center has prohibited making of any embankment anywhere near Naqsh-e Rostam.

 

Prior to this after studying different alternatives for saving the cultural landscape of the historic site of Naqsh-e Rostam against railway construction, experts of Parse Pasargadae Research Center concluded that the most effective way to prevent the railway from intruding the historic landscape of this Achaemenid site is to construct a 6-kilometer-long tunnel from Sivand to Shoul village and direct the train through the tunnel.

 

Considering the hesitation of UNESCO’s World Heritage committee, it is anticipated that if the path of the railway does not change and it passes near Naqsh-e Rostam historic site, Naqsh-e Rostam would loss its chance for being inscribed as a world heritage site forever.

 

Naqsh-e Rostam contains seven tombs which belong to Achaemenid kings, one of which is expressly declared in its inscription to be the tomb of Darius the Great, the Achaemenid king who ruled over the Persian Empire between 549 and 486 BC. The three other tombs besides that of Darius are believed to belong to Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I, and Darius II. There are also seven gigantic rock carvings in Naqsh-e Rostam right below the tombs which are dated to the Sassanid dynastic era (224-651 AD).

 

 

Soudabeh Sadigh

foreigndesk@chn.ir