Plans to Record Achaemenid Heritage Sites in Former Iranian Provinces - CAIS Archaeological & Cultural Daily News of Iran©

LONDON, (CAIS) -- Iran has drawn up plans to identify the cultural heritage of the Achaemenid Empire which are located outside the country’s modern boundaries.

The empire once stretched over a vast area which included present day Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Georgia, Armenia, Chechnya, Arran (modern republic of Azerbaijan), Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi costs of Persian Gulf, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Libya in addition to modern mainland Iran.

According to CHN, based on the plan, Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) will register the heritage of the Achaemenid Empire in neighboring states and produce documentary films on these sites.

“Heritage of the Empire forms the roots of common culture between Iran and the former provinces (satrapies) and the program to identify them will be implemented as part of the Fourth Five-Year Economic, Cultural and Social Development Plan (2005-2010).

“According to Article 114 of the Fourth Five-Year, Development Plan, the ICHTO is obliged to produce documentary films about the heritage of the first Persian Empire [Achaemenid dynasty] in other countries and publish them by 2010.“

The 6,000,000 sq.m. (2,600-mile-wide) geographical area of the Empire now is divided among different modern countries some 2,200 years after the disintegration of Persian Empire by Alexander II, the Macedonian warlord.

Monuments dating back to the Achaemenid dynastic Empire and the folklore culture of neighboring countries indicated the glory of Iranian civilisation.

ICHTO deputy director for international affairs, Ali Asghar Sherdust said that the organization has drawn up a map of the Empire and taken preliminary steps to implement the plan since last year.

Asked about the topics which the ICHTO will consider in identifying cultural heritage of Persian Empire, he said that teams of experts will study literature, poetry, prose, public and folklore culture of neighboring states as well as their anthropological, archaeological and historical aspects, manuscripts, stone inscriptions, as well as customs and traditions.

Sherdust said that different research departments of ICHTO have made preparations to implement the program and it expects to receive sufficient funds to proceed with the work.