13
September 2005
Sivand
Dam now under construction in Fars province, will
submerge the historical Bolaghi Valley which boasts
of 137 sites in the vicinity of Pasargadae and Persepolis.
According to Persian service of CHN, eight international teams are
currently involved in excavations in the area to
unearth antiquities before the historical sites go
under water.
The controversial Sivand Dam has engulfed unique
historical sites of Iran at Bolaghi Valley and this
has triggered national concern about the fate of Pasargadae
which is situated seven kilometers away from the
banks of the dam’s reservoir.
Mohammad Hassan Talebian, director of research
base at Parse Pasargadae, said that the dam does not
pose any threat to Pasargadae and the only harm
arises from the rise in humidity once the dam’s
reservoir is filled with water.
He said, “After the dam’s reservoir is filled
with water, we can measure the level of humidity
and then estimate the extent of damage it may
cause to Pasargadae and make decisions to deal with
the situation afterwards.“
In fact, he pointed out, the good-omen is that
there is a mountain between Sivand Dam and Pasargadae
and the mountain can protect Pasargadae from flooding.
Bolaghi Valley is situated between Sivand Dam and
the mountain and once served as a royal road
during the Achaemenid reign of the ancient Persian
Empire.
Head of Center for Archeological Research Studies
Masoud Azarnoush said that Bolaghi Valley is a
historical site with 130 monuments which is
threatened with submersion adding that no danger
is posed to Pasargadae and Persepolis (Persepolis).
Azarnoush said that it is praiseworthy that the
Iranian people are anxious about safeguarding
cultural heritage sites noting that the rise in
humidity poses the only danger to Pasargadae.
Meanwhile, the Head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage
and Tourism Organization’s (ICHTO) Research
Center Mohammad Beheshti dismissed that Sivand Dam
poses any threat to Pasargadae and asked, “how is
it possible to remain indifferent to threats to
Achaemenid monuments in Pasargadae and Persepolis (Persepolis) when Iranian cultural
heritage are being displayed in British Museum? On
the other hand, Pasargadae and Persepolis have
been registered with UNESCO and Iran has
undertaken the responsibility for maintenance of
the monuments, so, it is national obligation to
safeguard them from any threats.“
Meanwhile, the Islamic regime's Minister of Energy Parviz Fattah
claimed that he has forwarded a letter to Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad acknowledging that the dam poses no
threat to the tomb of Cyrus the
Great in Pasargadae.
He said that water-level of the dam’s reservoir
is 45 meter below that of Pasargadae monument.
However, the regime's Ministry of Energy will
allegedly exercise
maximum cooperation with Iran’s Cultural
Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) to
safeguard Pasargadae and Persepolis, said the
minister - this claim remains to be seen.
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