Sasanian Inscription in Semiram Stolen from the Mountain

Iranian news agencies have reported that the historic inscription of "Rocky Castle," measuring "one square meter," was cut from the mountain and stolen near the city of Semiram in Isfahan province on Tuesday, August 27. The head of the cultural heritage department of Semiram County confirmed this news on Wednesday, August 28, stating: "The thieves operated completely professionally and used equipment and facilities to cut and steal this national artifact from the mountain." According to IRNA, Sajjad Afshari added: "The dispersion of historical artifacts and structures and the vastness of Semiram County have made these areas out of the sight of our agents, and the lack of manpower and protective facilities has made it easier for historical artifact thieves." Mr. Afshari also stated in an interview with the website "Semna" that the age of this inscription is three thousand years and that it was stolen on Tuesday. Previously, in 2006, the area around this historical inscription had been destroyed. The report states that the historical inscription of "Rocky Castle" dates back to the Sasanian era and contains writings in Sasanian Pahlavi and early Islamic Arabic. This inscription was located in the historical fortress of Bahman or Rocky Castle in Semiram, built on a high mountain named Rocky Castle or Bahman Fortress, 40 kilometers southeast of Semiram. Iran has faced theft of historical objects from museums or historical areas for years. Meanwhile, Mohammad Karbalaei Hariri, commander of the protection unit of the cultural heritage organization, reported that this unit had discovered and seized 1,089 historical artifacts in a joint operation with Tehran security police on September 16, 2014. Many theft cases of historical artifacts in Iran have not reached a conclusion even after years. In this context, the website "Architecture News" previously reported the disappearance of a stone inscription from the National Museum in 2001, the theft of 400 gold and silver coins, a necklace, and six pen cases from the National Museum in the 1990s, the theft of six cultural items from Niavaran Palace in 1995, and the theft of 21 antique items from the Glass and Ceramic Museum in 2000, among other cases that remain unresolved after years. Previously, officials from the cultural heritage organization have spoken about the lack of necessary manpower and budget for the protection of historical artifacts. Meanwhile, Taghi Mehri, commander of the police prevention force of the law enforcement, stated on February 13, 2015, that more than 31,000 historical sites in Iran need physical protection forces, but the cultural heritage organization has not yet been able to recruit sufficient manpower for the protection of these artifacts.