TEHRAN The deputy head of the Cultural Heritage Department of Khorasan Province said on Wednesday that an ancient citadel named, Arg-e Shah Neshin-e Kohan Dej' was unearthed in Tabaran near Tous.

Rajabali Labbaf-Khaniki added that the stairs of the citadel are stony, short and very wide, in a way that even the horsemen could enter the place with their horses. The style of construction of the stairs is the same as that of Persepolis near Shiraz.

Regarding the aim behind the monumental excavations at the Tabaran archaeological site, he said, "In the first phase, we intended to repair the citadel, through recognizing the quality and the identity of the monument."

"Secondly, we were to study the monument archaeologically to find out its inner architectural spaces and therefore, study the history of architecture in Khorasan Province," he added.

Khaniki said that the discoveries are culturally, economically and artistically important. "Many silver, bronze and copper coins as well as antique pottery were discovered during the excavations," he said.