TEHRAN--Director of Sassanid Landscape World Heritage site of Fars province announced the completion of administrative procedures to sign contracts for 10 new conservation and organizing projects in two world heritage sites of this landscape.

Afshin Ebrahimi also said that these projects are being planned with support of the social responsibility funds of the Oil Ministry with a value of 200 billion rials ($200,000), ISNA reported.

He added that this new package is another step toward improving the protection status and sustainable management of this World Heritage site.

Ebrahimi explained the details of these plans and stated: “Of the 10 abovementioned projects, five will be implemented in the Bishapour World Heritage Site. These plans include stabilizing damaged architectural structures, providing safe visiting routes for tourists, installing protective fences in the sensitive areas of the site, collecting and organizing scattered rubble, and creating protective covers on vulnerable parts of architectural monuments.”

He stated that these measures are aimed at reducing environmental risks, preventing accelerated erosion, and increasing the visiting standards.

Ebrahimi also referred to the projects planned for the Firuzabad World Heritage Site and said that emergency conservation measures in the Dezh Dokhtar building, implementation of a visitor route to the enigmatic spaces of the Palace of Ardeshir Babakan, creating an introduction hall with the aim of improving the quality of visits establishment of tourism service facilities within the ancient city of Gur, and creation of a protective cover over the tomb trench constitute the five main projects of this complex.

Ebrahimi considered these measures to be essential infrastructure for long-term conservation and proper management of the increasing volume of visitors.

He also stated that if these 10 projects are finalized and implemented, the number of protection, restoration and organizing projects carried out in the Sassanid landscape of Fars since last year will reach 30 projects.

The director continued that 20 projects have been completed or are in the completion stage in the three sites of Bishapour, Firuzabad and Sarvestan, including 10 projects in Bishapour, five projects in Firuzabad and five projects in Sarvestan Palace.

Ebrahimi described the scope of these projects as very diverse and said that the projects carried out last year and this year cover various areas, including organizing visiting routes, environmental furniture, protecting and restoring the petroglyphs, archaeological excavations, debris removal and cleaning, restoring the buildings and related decorations, improving office and service spaces and lighting. 

KD