Burial of 'Unknown Martyrs' in the Ancient Area of Pasargad Denied

Following reports of the burial of two victims of the Iran-Iraq war within the 'second-degree protection zone' of the historical site of Pasargad, several news websites announced that the bodies of these two individuals were not buried within the site's boundaries but in another location. The Young Journalists Club website, affiliated with state media, reported on Friday, March 4, that following inquiries from officials of the Cultural Heritage Organization, the burial of 'unknown martyrs' in the second-degree protection zone of the Pasargad historical site was canceled. The same website had reported differently on Thursday, March 3, stating that these two individuals were buried in the 'Park of Unknown Martyrs of Pasargad.' Meanwhile, the 'Aban Press' website also reported that following inquiries from officials of the Cultural Heritage Organization, the bodies of these two individuals were buried in the 'Nur al-Shuhada' hill, also known as the 'Park of Unknown Martyrs.' According to this report, this hill is near the city of Saadat Shahr, the center of Pasargad County, where several unknown martyrs were also buried in 2014. So far, officials from the Cultural Heritage Organization have not commented on these reports, and no reports have been published on the websites affiliated with this organization. The historical site of Pasargad includes ancient buildings such as the tomb of Cyrus, the Pasargad royal garden, and the tomb of Cambyses, and it was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. The Khabar Online website reported on March 8, citing Hamid Fadaei, the director of the Pasargad site, that the 'memorial of unknown martyrs' has been under construction in the second-degree protection zone of the Pasargad historical site for some time. Mr. Fadaei emphasized that 'we are all obligated to implement these laws to ensure that Pasargad remains on the World Heritage list.' This issue has also sparked reactions on social media, with Zahra Ahmadipour, the head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, stating on Twitter that 'this matter is being pursued, and extensive correspondence has been conducted regarding it.' Meanwhile, Mohammad Beheshti, head of the Cultural Heritage Research Institute, emphasized in an interview with ILNA news agency that the construction of this tomb could create 'problems' for Pasargad's status on the World Heritage list. However, Mohammad Pardel, the Friday prayer leader of Pasargad, defended this action, stating that 'the burial of unknown martyrs in the Pasargad area will bring goodness and blessings to the region.' In June of this year, the construction of a tomato paste factory in the protection zone of the historical site of Pasargad also made headlines. On Tuesday, December 22, 2014, despite the opposition of the Cultural Heritage Organization and the provincial security council, eight victims of the Iran-Iraq war were buried in the historical and tourist site of Amir Chakhmaq in Yazd. The issue of burying victims of the Iran-Iraq war in Iranian universities during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad led to protests.