’Haft-khan-e
Rostam’ (Seven Stages), a story about the ordeals of Rostam, a hero in
Master Ferdowsi’s masterpiece epic Shahnameh (the Book
of Kings), to establish his character as a typical Iranian
who respects the truth and refrains from being
contaminated by lies and injustice, will be inscribed on
the walls of an ancient underground town being converted
in the Persian Gulf resort island of Kish.
According to a CHN Persian Service, aqueducts (kariz/Qanat) which
used to provide drinking water from underground sources
for more than 2,500 years has now dried up and Iran’s
Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) is
turning the underground canals into a city which will
cover an area of three square kilometers.
Architects said that they would safeguard the historical
texture of the canals and would put the site to a variety
of applications to make it attractive for tourists.
The underground town will cover an area of 63,000 square
meters in future. Restaurants, museums, amphitheatres,
conference halls and arts galleries will be built in the
historical site.
’Haftkhan of
Rostam’ will be depicted on sections of
the walls of the underground town to help tourists become
acquainted with the greatest of Iranian epical-poet book,
the Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and get an insight
into the rich Iranian rich culture.
The report further said that both traditional and modern
restaurants will be built in the underground town and the
handicrafts section will be inaugurated there to display
Persian carpets and other crafts for tourists.
In the meantime, a tourist center will be established with
several streets and shops to display traditional costumes.
Luristani and Kurdistani drummers from western Iran will also
perform for the
tourists.
Water canals were situated at a depth of 16 meters and the
ceiling is eight meters high. Its ceiling is made of
shells and corals which are 270 million years old and each
of them has a special ID card.
Experts believe that the site will turn into a unique
tourist resort thanks to its environment and pearls or
corals from the depths of oceans which can be viewed by
tourists.
Some believe that the mud from the canals has medical
application and several other utility.
An investor in the project to build the underground town,
Mansour Haji-Hosseini said that construction works have
been underway since 1999 and the project is expected to be
completed by 2007.
Haji-Hosseini said that the project has so far shown a
physical progress of 70 percent.
He added that tourist boats with seating arrangements for
12 people will operate in the canals of the underground
city.
