Experts Criticize Concrete Pouring in Sasanian City of Bishapur

In a controversial move, over a kilometer of the ancient and UNESCO-listed site of Bishapur was poured with concrete by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Fars Province. Abbas Moghaddam, a prominent Iranian archaeologist, described this intervention as "unfair" and stated that the use of concrete in a UNESCO site contradicts the principles of restoration and preservation of ancient artifacts. The Cultural Heritage Organization justified this action as "creating access." However, Mr. Moghaddam emphasized that in other archaeological sites like Shush and Silak, lightweight structures such as wooden beams have been used, allowing for collection and restoration, while concrete creates a permanent and disproportionate feature in the historical environment of Bishapur. Additionally, some important halls of Bishapur, including the Hall of the Cross and the Mosaic, have been affected by this concrete pouring. Afshin Ebrahimi, the Deputy of Cultural Heritage of Fars Province and the manager of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bishapur, is responsible for issuing the permit for this concrete pouring. This action has sparked widespread reactions among experts. The city of Bishapur, located near Kazeroon in Fars Province, served as one of the five administrative centers of the Pars region during the Sasanian era. The ancient city of Bishapur has been excavated in two phases, but these excavations have only covered three percent of the site, leaving 97 percent of this ancient city still buried. Now, while this concrete pouring has taken place, the floors of the Bishapur palace halls remain unexplored, and colorful mosaics discovered in the initial excavations are partly held in the Louvre Museum and partly in Iranian museum repositories. The ancient city of Bishapur and its site are also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Meanwhile, a recent video has emerged showing that the central fire altar of the Harascan fire temple in Kashan has been destroyed due to the use of treasure hunters. Some studies indicate that from 2016 to 2019, unauthorized excavations and the use of metal detectors increased by forty percent. The lack of clear and codified laws regarding unauthorized excavations and inadequate punitive measures has led unauthorized excavators and traffickers of antiquities to destroy these sites without concern; experts have warned that almost no archaeological site in Iran has remained safe from the damage caused by unauthorized excavations. The ancient city of Bishapur and the Harascan fire temple are not the only archaeological sites in Iran facing neglect and destruction. Recently, news has surfaced about the gradual destruction of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Persepolis. One of the factors contributing to this destruction has been identified as the growth of lichen on the surfaces of the Persepolis structures. Ground subsidence in the area is also considered a serious threat to this ancient site. Some of the motifs of Persepolis have "disappeared" due to the growth of lichens. Simultaneously, archaeologists and officials in Marvdasht emphasize the destructive impact of chemical pollutants, given the proximity of petrochemical complexes and refineries in Shiraz to Persepolis. These pollutants have accelerated the growth of lichens and contributed to the destruction of Persepolis. Researchers consider chemical pollutants to be the main cause of lichen infiltration and refer to it as the silent death of Persepolis. In July of this year, the concert of Alireza Ghorbani at Persepolis made headlines. Some users on social media launched campaigns to cancel the concert to prevent the destruction of Persepolis; however, cultural officials in Fars Province and the concert organizers insisted that the concert venue is far from the ancient site and that the sound waves from the concert would not affect this ancient structure, thus refusing to cancel the musical program. Previously, the manager of the Persepolis site had announced that Persepolis has no budget and its funding line has been cut off for two years. The governor of Fars, however, denied this issue. In the meantime, many experts have expressed concern about the status of this human heritage and warned that Persepolis is undergoing a gradual death.