Explosive Operations Near Historical Sites in Firouzabad

Nearly two weeks ago, on December 26, an operation titled "Securing the Firouzabad to Kavar Road" took place from morning until evening, involving four explosions aimed at removing a rock believed to be unstable. According to 'Mardomsalari Online', the mentioned rock was located 100 meters from the Sasanian historical sites in Firouzabad. The publication also raised questions regarding why the recommendations from cultural heritage officials to use non-explosive methods, conditional on the protection of the bas-relief, were ignored, and who would be accountable for these explosions. The debris from the explosions is estimated to weigh around 200 tons, raising the question of how the unstable rock did not fall after the first explosion, leading to three more. The rock inscription of 'Mehrnarsi', a Sasanian minister, was located on the ruins of a bridge registered as a national heritage site, directly opposite the site of the dynamite blasts. The report cited officials from the Cultural Heritage Organization stating that no visible damage to the historical heritage of the region was reported, although it noted that the consequences of such explosions would only become apparent through expert assessments and over time. The Sasanian monuments in Firouzabad, with a history of at least 1800 years, are listed as part of the human and world heritage by UNESCO. The history of Firouzabad dates back to the last years of the Parthian dynasty; Ardashir Papakan, the founder of the Sasanian Empire, established the city of 'Ardashir Khoreh', meaning the glory of Ardashir, which maintained its special status throughout the Sasanian era lasting over four hundred years. The ancient remnants of Firouzabad, such as the palace of Ardashir and the rock relief near the explosions, indicate that Ardashir Khoreh, considered one of the first circular cities in the world, was the throne of Ardashir Papakan and the site of the coronation of the founder of the Sasanian Empire.