Digging Graves for 'Unknown Martyrs' in the Most Famous Tourist Square of Yazd

According to a report by the Cultural Heritage News Agency from Tehran, evidence suggests that several victims of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war are to be buried in the historic and tourist square of Amir Chakhmaq in Yazd; a matter that threatens the process of registering this part of Yazd's historic fabric as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Cultural Heritage News Agency has published photos showing that the preparation of graves is underway despite the opposition of the Cultural Heritage Organization in the historic Amir Chakhmaq square. These graves are being prepared for the burial of eight unknown victims of the war with Iraq, and the burial is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, coinciding with the anniversary of the death of Ali ibn Musa al-Ridha, the eighth Imam of Shia Muslims. The Committee for the Search for Missing Persons of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic has dug these eight graves just a few meters from the historic Amir Chakhmaq building, disregarding the objections of the Cultural Heritage Organization. Meanwhile, the director of the Yazd Cultural Heritage Office, as the custodian of cultural heritage in the province, has repeatedly expressed his opposition to the implementation of this plan. The public relations director of the Yazd governorate also emphasized in an interview with the Cultural Heritage News Agency that the governor is also opposed to the execution of this plan. Previously, there were reports that Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Naseri, the representative of the Supreme Leader and Friday Prayer Imam of Yazd, had agreed with the proposal of the Cultural Heritage Organization officials, which suggested that the graves be moved behind the historic Amir Chakhmaq building. However, on December 19, some executors of this plan began digging graves without obtaining the necessary permits just a few meters from the historic Amir Chakhmaq building, and even the presence of the director of the Yazd Cultural Heritage Office did not prevent them from proceeding. It is said that the plan to bury eight unknown victims of the war was proposed two years ago, which the then-governor opposed. Now, this plan has been raised again and implemented without the necessary permits. Officials from the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization had previously declared the burial of unknown war victims in the historic Amir Chakhmaq square a serious threat to the process of registering this historic fabric of Yazd as a World Heritage site.