TEHRAN - Iran’s western county of Qasr-e Shirin requires up to a century of archaeological research due to the number of historical sites dating back to the Sassanid period, a senior provincial heritage official said on Tuesday.

Siavash Shahbazi, head of the preservation and restoration group for historical buildings and sites at Kermanshah province’s Cultural Heritage Department, said past archaeological discoveries show Qasr-e Shirin was a major center for pre-Islamic rulers.

“Based on archaeological findings so far, Qasr-e Shirin was one of the areas that attracted the attention of kings before the Islamic era,” Shahbazi told ISNA news agency.

He said the county hosts multiple Sassanid-era sites, including the Palace of Khosrow, Ban Qal’eh stone tower, the Chahar Qapu fire temple and the Shah Gadar canal, a Sassanid water supply system.

“If archaeological work were to be carried out comprehensively in this county, it would require many years,” he said.

Shahbazi said the Palace of Khosrow is one of the best-known monuments in Qasr-e Shirin. According to archaeologists, the structure was once a large complex located within a garden enclosure.

He said six seasons of archaeological excavations have been completed at the site, leading to the identification of significant remains of the palace.

“The site needs at least three more excavation seasons,” Shahbazi said, adding that funding has been allocated in recent years to continue research at the palace.

He said the seventh season of excavations is planned for next year, subject to the allocation of funds.

During the next phase, archaeologists will attempt to identify traces of the surrounding garden described in historical sources, Shahbazi said. Any findings would be documented to help reconstruct the historical layout of the palace.

Shahbazi also said Qasr-e Shirin has historically held strategic importance and today lies on a major route used by pilgrims traveling to holy sites in Iraq, as well as on a commercial corridor with a border market.

“These factors give the county the capacity to become a tourism hub in the province,” he said.

In 2007, the Historical Ensemble of Qasr-e Shirin was placed on UNESCO’s tentative list for World Heritage status. The ensemble includes architectural and urban remains from the late Sassanid and early Islamic periods, such as the Palace of Khosrow, the Chahar Qapu monument, Ban Qal’eh and the remains of a Safavid-era caravanserai, according to the nomination file.

AM