Invasion of the Achaemenid fortress!

A cultural heritage researcher and activist announced the issuance of a permit to build a park (park) on the site of a first-class palace or fortress known as “Abu Nasr Palace”, a remnant of the late Achaemenid period with a history of more than 2300 years.

Siavash Aria told ISNA: The first-class grounds of the ancient palace-fortress known as “Qasrabonasr” in Shiraz, with the license of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Fars Province and by the municipality, have been extensively manipulated and built in In the near future, a local park will be built next to this valuable national monument. However, activists and cultural heritage experts have objected to the construction and called for it to be stopped, but so far the protests have gone nowhere.

He narrated about the historical value of this fortress or palace from the late Jamshid Sedaghat Kish, archaeologist: This place has existed since prehistoric times and like a strong military fortress in the late Achaemenid and Parthian and Sassanid periods, it was used by kings and In 420 AH, Abu Nasr (son of Amir Azd al-Dawla Dailami), one of the rulers of Persia, used this place as a palace and therefore, in the Islamic period, it was known as “Abu Nasr Palace”.

Aria added: In the 50’s, Professor Tilia identified two columns and an Achaemenid gate that were brought here from Parseh (Persepolis) at an unknown time and returned them to Parseh.

The entrance to the ancient site of Qasr-e-Bunsar in Shiraz, which has no identification and protection despite being registered in the list of national monuments, has been abandoned.

This cultural heritage researcher continued: The ancient palace-fortress famous for Qasr Bonusr, which is the first national registered monument of Shiraz city and Fars province with number 13 and was nationally registered in 1310, is going through hard and difficult days. The illegal excavations of profiteers of cultural and historical property in the area of ​​the ancient site of Qasr-e-Bunsar in Shiraz in recent years is just one of the difficulties facing this valuable national monument, which has caused a lot of damage. Color inscriptions by some foolish and humble natives on the defensive and stone walls of this ancient palace-fortress in its place, is another challenge that Qasr-e-Nasr has always faced and continues to show that it is a sign of cultural poverty and lack of cultural refinement. And most importantly, the lack of education among the masses has become one of the greatest difficulties of historical and cultural monuments in the country today. While those lowly people show signs of their lack of culture in just two or three minutes by painting on historical and cultural monuments, cleaning it, apart from the huge costs it incurs at the hands of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, takes weeks and sometimes months. And it has to be done in several stages and it will be very time consuming.

Constructions that have progressed to the area of ​​Abu Nasr site in the last one or two decades

Aria, who has repeatedly warned about the dire condition of this historical monument, said: dumping garbage and household and construction waste of indigenous people on the grounds and inside the palace of Nasr Palace is another difficulty facing this valuable national monument, which has been one of the most important challenges for many years. It has turned into an ugly scene and continues to follow. The officials of cultural heritage of Shiraz city and the municipality and city administration are the only spectators and spectators of this story and so far they have not made any effort to collect garbage and waste and each of them throws the ball to the other ground and resigns from his job. It’s a pity. Despite the fencing at the entrance of this historic site last year by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of Shiraz, garbage and waste are still visible. Meanwhile, the municipality, in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Office, can install a warning sign to warn the local people and prevent the dumping of garbage and household waste in order to honor both historical and national monuments and ugly faces. That remains to be cleared so that few visitors and tourists have the will and desire to see this national and valuable monument.

Domestic sewage effluent that passes through the area of ​​Qasr Bonsar area and flows into agricultural lands

The cultural heritage activist in Shiraz said: “Undoubtedly, the worst difficulty of these days is Abu Nasr Palace. (2009) has taken place, which has a lot of surprises and countless questions, and it is not clear on what basis, this ill-considered and incorrect action has occurred.

Flooring and landscaping in the first class area of ​​Abu Nasr Palace, which is to be turned into a local park

Referring to the studies he has done and the available evidence and documents, he added: The former director general of the Cultural Heritage Office of Fars Province with construction in the first-class area of ​​Qasr-e-Nasr without considering the cultural heritage laws that are clear and transparent and clearly builder in the area It has banned historical and cultural monuments and has agreed to refer to them directly in the book of rules and regulations for cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts. This is a violation and they must be held accountable. In a letter sent to the director general of the province’s cultural heritage in December 2009, Shiraz Municipality explicitly requested the second phase of landscaping operations, improvement of reputation and flooring, and implementation of electrical and mechanical facilities, and construction operations began in April 1400.

Deployment of workers in the area of ​​Abu Nasr Palace

Arya said: “According to the experts of cultural heritage and field studies that I did, in the future, a native park (local park) or a marginal park will be built in the first-class area adjacent to Qasr-e-Nasr Palace.” It should be noted that the construction of a suburban park requires facilities such as toilets, prayer halls, sports and entertainment equipment, buffets and other equipment that, in addition to violating cultural heritage laws, will undoubtedly cause damage to the historic site of Abu Nasr Palace in the not too distant future. It will become one of the biggest challenges of the future. Therefore, according to experts and activists of cultural heritage, it is better not to build more and to be in the stage of flooring and not to spend huge and more costs, to prevent the contractor from following the work of the contractor.

He added: “Cultural heritage experts have also raised the issue of the landscape or the visual view of the ancient site of” Qasr-e-Bunsar “and have called for a halt to the project and constructions.” An issue that does not seem to have been addressed by former provincial cultural heritage officials.

The researcher also considered the construction in the first class area of ​​Abu Nasr Palace as a worrying factor for ancient excavations in this historical site and added: Archaeological excavations in this historical monument go back to very distant years, this site in the years 1310 to 1312 AD (1931-1933 AD). It was carried out by the University of Chicago and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and requires several seasons of excavation to uncover both the hidden and surviving relics of this ancient palace-fortress and to illuminate its true realm; Because according to most archaeologists and cultural heritage experts, part of the ancient site of Qasr-e-Bunsar, today is located under the houses that have been erected in the past one or two decades without any rules and with violations on the site. It is clearer that the arena and palace area should be considered much wider than what is visible today.

Emphasizing that the current constructions will undoubtedly seriously damage the archeological layers of the Qasr-e-Nasr site, he said: “Another difficulty facing this construction project is the absence of an archaeologist; Because during the operations and excavations and speculations of the workers, they undoubtedly come across cases in which only the presence of an archaeologist can be a way forward and give permission and order to follow the work or stop it. An issue that has been completely ignored by the cultural heritage and can be a threat to the historical and valuable site of Qasr-e-Nasr. However, cultural heritage experts and activists believe that the builders’ trail should be prevented as soon as possible and that the agreement between the cultural heritage and the municipality should be reviewed and amended.

Advancement of construction operations, attached to the national grounds of Abu Nasr Palace and dumping of garbage

Arya continued: “Some experts of the Cultural Heritage Office have a different view and consider the construction of a local park or a suburb as an unwanted or forced plan and in favor of the Qasr-e-Bunsar area; Because, according to these experts, the surrounding lands and the privacy of Qasr al-Nasr were in the possession of other institutions, and they claimed ownership of the lands. Also, the Cultural Heritage Administration, with a lot of follow-ups and correspondence and the passage of time, has allegedly been able to take back the lands around the Qasr-e-Nasr National Park and document it in the name of cultural heritage. Therefore, some cultural heritage experts say that if the local park project had not been implemented here, the lands around Qasr al-Nasr would have been torn apart and sold to the people, with houses and apartments built in its place, and the cultural heritage would inevitably have made such a decision. On the other hand, those experts believe that the construction of a local park may be an incentive to better protect Qasr-e-Nasr due to the movement of people in it, but it should be noted that cultural heritage laws were not created overnight and by experienced experts. And with regard to the geographical and social situation of the country, it is written and enforced by all government institutions and organs, and no one or institution is beyond the law, and the constitution should not be violated under various pretexts.

Examples of pottery that can be seen in abundance in the area of ​​Abu Nasr Palace

He reminded: “The construction of a local park in the first-class area of ​​Qasr-e-Nasr, apart from the violation, can not be an incentive to protect and preserve it, and contrary to this view, we will cause greater challenges in the future in terms of protection and guarding.” Most importantly, all archaeologists and cultural heritage experts believe that the real area of ​​Qasr-e-Nasr is much wider and larger, and that the builders will undoubtedly cause irreversible damage to its hidden archaeological layers. Therefore, the construction sequence should be prevented as soon as possible.

This researcher and cultural heritage activist stated: The wrong and ill-considered decision of the former director general of cultural heritage of Fars province, has now taken the newly entered managers of the province’s cultural heritage office and has become one of the great challenges. In fact, the price of the unprofessional work and violations of the former directors of the province’s cultural heritage must now be paid by the new directors of the province’s cultural heritage. On the other hand, the province’s cultural heritage is at a crossroads; Because the sequence of constructions in the first-class area of ​​Qasr-e-Nasr National Complex is considered a violation of the law, and even a crime, and it should be prevented as soon as possible, while the province’s cultural heritage department has issued work permits in the past!

Advancement of agricultural lands to the area of ​​Qasr al-Nasr

The palace-fortress attributed to Abu Nasr is located in the northeast of Shiraz, on Nasrarabad Boulevard or Kaftarak Road, seven kilometers from Golestan Square, on top of a hill. This structure is a stone fortress with extensions whose constituent elements are stone and plaster. In the facade of this structure, wind stones have been used and in the working core, carcass stones and gypsum have been used. This work has been registered as the first building registered in the province under the name of “Takht-e Soleiman” and with number 13 on September 15, 1961 in the list of national works.

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