Shams Palace, also known as Pearl Palace, miserably abandoned in Alborz Province for years, will soon go through restoration, a senior official at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said.
According to Hossein Amin Afshar, deputy head of the provincial ICHHTO, recent visits by heritage authorities to the once-glorious palace eventually led to a decision to change its unfavorable situation.
"The restoration project has been divided into several phases, the first of which is renovation of ceilings and air conditioning systems," ISNA quoted Afshar as saying.
"Ceilings are the most damaged parts of the palace. The structural damage has been aggravated by the aging heating and ventilation systems."
He added that to prevent the destruction to creep into other parts, restoration of ceilings should be given priority.
This phase is projected to take almost 45 days, during which, next phases on restoring walls, floors and furniture will be gradually planned. The official emphasized that the required budget for the project should be estimated and allotted by the relevant authorities as soon as possible so as to accelerate its implementation.
Apparently, funds, much more that what is needed to build a palace anew, are required for Pearl Palace's restoration.
Afshar regretted that such a unique and valuable architectural treasure has been long neglected by heritage officials.
"Optimistically speaking, the whole work will be completed in a couple of years," he said.
Need to Apply Expertise
Experts believe that extensive restoration requires subtlety and sensitivity in work; hence, the contractor and renovation team should be carefully picked to ensure the desired result.
As Afshar explained, currently a contractor has been recommended to ICHHTO which will immediately start the project if approved by the authorities.
Otherwise, he said, a public call will be issued for experts all over the country who are eager to carry out the job.
"Keeping an eye on the requirements, the best out of the applicants will be selected."
Debate of Ownership
Shams Palace is a large estate designed by Taliesin Associated Architects and built by the Wright Foundation on the order of Shams Pahlavi, an older sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the second and last king of the Pahlavi dynasty that was overthrown by the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
It was built in the early 1970s in Mehrshahr near Karaj.
Following the revolution, Mostazafan Foundation seized all assets owned by the royal family, including Shams Palace. However, given the cultural importance and historical significance of the site, a portion of the asset was transferred to ICHHTO.
Nevertheless, heritage officials maintain that the organization cannot begin restoring the site and opening it to the public until it gains the full ownership of the palace.
This is while Afshar argued that since the palace is enlisted as a national heritage site (in 2002), "ICHHTO is responsible for the restoration issues, irrespective of its ownership status."
Earlier last year, experts estimated that revamping the site requires 300-500 billion rials ($7-12 million).
The property is being considered as a potential site for the establishment of Alborz Museum.
