A stone water pool and canal has been recently discovered on the north-wing roof of Ali Qapu Grand Palace in Isfahan Province, head of the provincial office of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said.
"The structure was found under the tiled roof of the palace during archaeological excavations aimed at uncovering water canals leading to the central pool in the palace's yard," Fereydoun Allahyari said.
"The 100 cm in 86 cm pool, whose depth is 40 cm, is connected to the nearby water well through a stone canal," IRNA quoted the official as saying. The canals being covered under the tiled floor show that they had been concealed or blocked for some reason in a certain point of history, Fariba Khatatbakhsh, a member of the research team said.
"The excavations are still underway to find the rest of the structure, if any," she added.
Earlier a hidden layer of decorated wall dating back to the early Safavid era (907-1135) was also discovered when archeologists were carrying out restoration work on the walls between the balcony and the main hall of the palace, CHTN reported in February.
The Ali Qapu project has been the biggest rehabilitation of the historical structure conducted in several phases, including the repair of the balcony's columns and its floor.
The current phase of the archaeological project started in late April, aiming at the restoration of wooden ceilings of the third and fourth floors in the northern side of the palace.
Some 800 million rials in funds ($19,000) have been allotted by the Naqsh-e Jahan Square World Heritage Base for this phase alone. Heritage officials claim the current restoration push is so extensive that the gorgeous structure would not require any repair for 50 years.
Ali Qapu is a grand palace in Isfahan Province located on the western side of the Naqsh-e Jahan Square and boasts naturalistic wall paintings featuring floral, animal and bird motifs.
The palace was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1979.
