Tehran, 18 August 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk) – Iranian-British joint team consisted of experts of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) and University of Edinburgh and Durham University, have succeeded in discovering the biggest fortress in one kilometer distance of Gorgan’s wall.

 

Having 64 hectares area, the citadel of this fortress which is located on southern side of Gorgan’s wall, had control over the whole fortress and through geophysical operations, experts have succeeded to figure out its architectural style.

 

Regarding the architectural style of this fortress, Hamid Omrani, Iranian head of the team told CHN: “The interior space of the fortress which is known as Kharabeh fortress was divided into four sections through a canal. Sounding works in this fortress approved the conception of archeologists indicating implementation of brick and adobe in construction of the fortress.” He deferred further explanations about the fortress to later time after completing excavations in the fortress.

 

Great wall of Gorgan, otherwise known as Gorgan’s Defense Wall, extended for 200 kilometers in the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea, is the most ancient and the longest wall in Iran. Archeological evidence suggests that it was built during the Sassanid (224-651 AD) dynastic era, although it is also believed that it must have been older and was constructed during the Parthian dynastic period (248 BC- 224 AD) to protect mainland Iran (former Persia) from invasion from the north.

 

Comparable to the Great Wall of China, Gorgan’s Defensive Wall has a cultural-historic importance and speaks of the rich civilization which once populated the northern regions of present-day Iran. Some archeologists believe that the two historical walls were constructed during the same period of history. Due to its potential historical importance, Iran is determined to put it up for world registration in UNESCO’s list.  

 

  

Soudabeh Sadigh

foreigndesk@chn.ir