Two houses of heritage value in the Shiraz historical texture in Fars Province, which were injudiciously demolished in late February, along with other destroyed structures in the area will soon be restored with precision.
The decision was made during a meeting between Ali Asghar Mounesan, head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, and representatives from the Ministry of Interior, the judiciary, Ministry of Roads and Urban Development and other entities to discuss the buffer zone and overlapping areas of Shiraz's historical texture.
"The destroyed structures will be elaborately restored by provincial heritage experts based on a map of the area," ISNA quoted Mohammad Hassan Talebian, deputy for cultural heritage at ICHHTO, as saying.
The flattened houses named Salimi and Montaseri, both inscribed on the National Heritage List in 2003, were among the valuable historical structures of the province, dating back to the Qajar era (1789–1925).
They were knocked down to make space for the project to expand the adjacent Shah Cheragh Mosque. Reportedly, the directors of Shah Cheragh had earlier purchased the properties from their owners for the purpose.
Notwithstanding the objection of ICHHTO's protection unit, the mansions were flattened in line with the scheme in February. It faced criticism by experts and officials who regretted that historical structures are often ruined for implementing development plans, regardless of ICHHTO's warnings.
Following meetings, the damaged area went under intense scrutiny by a team of experts, deployed to investigate the extent of damage and prepare a comprehensive report.
Finally, the provincial security council ordered the reconstruction of the buildings while preserving the old architectural style.
Urging Deterrence
Participants in the recent meeting also called for judicial action against the offenders. "The offenders will face legal action besides paying fine to compensate for the loss," Mounesan said.
"This will preempt illegal constructions and urban development projects to expand beyond their limits."
Fars Province boasts 3,000 national heritage sites, accounting for 9% of Iran's historical places. It is also home to three world heritage sites: Pasargadae, the ruins of Persepolis and Eram Garden (inscribed along with seven other gardens grouped under "Persian Gardens").
Shiraz forms "Iran's Tourism Triangle" along with the cities of Yazd and Isfahan.
