TEHRAN –Almost nine decades after being placed on the National Heritage List, the historical Abunasr fortress in Shiraz, southern Fars province, will receive some protective measures such as building fences to shield the precious monument from further degradation.

Located six kilometers east of Shiraz, on top of a hill, the abandoned fortress and its towers, which are made of stones, bricks, and mortar, can be seen easily.

Also known as Takht-e Soleyman (“The Throne of Solomon”), the monument dates back to the Parthian era (247 BC – 224 CE) and it was inscribed on the National Heritage list in 1931.

Nine decades later, such a magnificent cultural heritage has turned to a place for construction waste and a shelter for drug addicts and homeless people.

Lack of financial and human resources, as well as lack of coordination between cultural heritage-related bodies such as the municipality, were some of the problems that prevented this place from being properly preserved, ILNA quoted provincial tourism chief Mosayyeb Amiri as saying on Sunday.

The site will be fenced within a month and the municipality is scheduled to collaborate in cleaning the debris off the area, he added.

Although the site was demarcated several years ago, there have been lots of buildings constructed near it, which distorts the visual beauty of this area.

In recent years, some media outlets and cultural heritage experts have warned about the issues the monument has been facing, but it seems there has been no serious intention to solve the problems and preserve the site.

However, according to the official, if everything goes according to a new plan, the situation in this place improves within a month, it is hopeful that it will become one of the tourist attractions of the province.

The magnificent historical site was also an important and strategic location during the time of Sassanids (224–651). Archaeologists have found a variety of artifacts and coins belonging to various historical eras during several excavation seasons carried out in the site.

ABU/MG