The case of the body discovered in Shahr-e Rey in southern Tehran which is claimed to be the mummified body of the former king of Iran Reza Pahlavi (1878–1944) is in a state of ambiguity with officials making contradictory comments.
Eye witnesses have claimed to have seen an excavator near the Shah-Abdol-Azim shrine unearthing an apparently mummified body.
The news immediately went viral without official confirmation fueling rumors that it belongs to the Pahlavi king, ISNA reported.
The shrine's public relations authorities have dismissed the claims saying that the discovered body is not mummified and there is no evidence indicating to whom it belongs.
Mostafa Ajorlou, head of the shrine's public relations office, said the area which is currently under reconstruction, has been a cemetery times ago, hence finding such remains is "absolutely normal".
He asserted that the news has been faked by agitators who seek to blow up issues on social media.
Need for Reporting
Meanwhile, Mohammadreza Nemati, head of the archaeological research department at Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said in such discovery cases, "provincial heritage officials should be informed first in order to deploy experts for on-site investigations".
Amir Mosayyeb Rahimzadeh, director of the local ICHHTO office, also said that "the issue has not been communicated to heritage officials from a reliable source yet," he said.
City Council's Confirmation
However, Hassan Khalilabadi, the head of Cultural Heritage Committee at Tehran City Council, confirmed the news saying that a mummy was found in the western part of the holy shrine during construction work.
"The ruined tomb of Reza Shah was located in the same place where constructions were underway, so there are chances that the mummy belongs to him," he said.
According to the official, constructions have been temporarily stopped since Sunday to allow more investigation.
Khalilabadi emphasized that regardless of the identity of the discovered body, it is considered a heritage item, which deserves preservation.
Reza Shah died in exile in Johannesburg in 1944. It is said that his body was brought to Iran four years later and buried in a large tomb in Shahr-e Rey.
