Saveh road farther from UNESCO?

About a month ago, the advisor to the Minister of Cultural Heritage came to Saveh and visited the building of Bagh-e-Sheikh (Abdul Ghafarkhan) Caravanserai to be introduced to the UNESCO World Heritage List along with 55 other inns in the country.

“Bagh Sheikh” or Abdul Ghafarkhan Saveh caravanserai was built in an area of ​​more than 4,800 square meters during the Zandieh period and is one of the four-porch buildings suitable for the hot and dry climate of Iran. It was raised at UNESCO.

In the last two years, IRNA News Agency has prepared and published several reports on the importance of this building belonging to Zandieh era and also the danger of its destruction in conversations with experts, owners and director of Saveh Cultural Heritage, but the majority of private sector owners On the one hand, and their weak connection with the Saveh Cultural Heritage Administration, on the other hand, is a chronic and permanent problem that stands in the way of connecting this building to UNESCO like a big stone.

On the 10th of September this year, a report entitled “Impassable passes between Saveh and UNESCO” was published in IRNA, which showed that there is not much interaction between several small owners with small areas with the original owner and the same people with the Cultural Heritage Office. On the other hand, when the issue of world registration of this work became serious, according to the head of the Cultural Heritage Office, the door of this complex was opened using the order of a judicial official to carry out its repair and reconstruction work.

But after the visit of Mohammad Hussein Taliban on the 7th of October this year and visiting this complex, which also had civil works on the agenda, everyone was happy that the path of world registration of this historical monument has finally been paved, but today the head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Saveh tourism did not say very promising words.

Possibility of canceling the global registration due to non-cooperation of the owners

“Reza Ayaz” told IRNA: “Although in two periods of time we spent about 250 million tomans from national resources to repair and renovate this building with the aim of preparing it for world registration, and even UNESCO evaluators visited this building, but now it is open again.” The old problem also arose and the original owner of this collection did not answer our calls to continue the cooperation.

He added: in order to enter the complex and start the construction operation and repair of the Sheikh Caravanserai building, when we were faced with the lack of cooperation of the owner or owners, we had to obtain a court order from the Saveh city prosecutor and open the complex door to carry out activities. In this category, we must consider the general and national interests of Saveh city and Markazi province, how effective the existence of a UNESCO World Heritage Site can be in promoting tourism and introducing the region’s attractions to the world.

The head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department of Saveh stated: “With the situation we are in now and the non-cooperation of the owner of this collection, we are worried that the valuable opportunity of world registration of this work will be lost.”

He said: “Recently, we have received a letter from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts in which he stressed the need to obtain the consent and cooperation of the owners, and in this regard, we have not responded to the original owner for several days.” .

According to Ayaz, cultural heritage is willing to cooperate for the public interest and has spent 250 million tomans for the renovation of this building, but if the main owner and a few small owners of this complex do not cooperate, all the efforts that have been made so far in this regard We are, it is wasted.

Regarding the complaints of some owners of this cultural heritage complex about not giving the minutes that have been held about this building, he said: “All the minutes have been communicated to them and even the Dehyar and the Islamic Council of Bagh Sheikh village, and this is not true.”

Ayaz said: “So far, measures such as repairing foundations, rafters, arches and clearing the walls of slogans have been done, and we expect the process of global registration of this work to end well with the cooperation of the owners.”

It is not to be said; An IRNA correspondent contacted the original owner of the series several times, but his phone was not available.

Opinion of the owners of Bagh Sheikh Caravanserai

In a report published by the IRNA news agency in the Saveh office on the 10th of September this year, the owners of this collection expressed their views and opinions, part of which are as follows:

The representative of the owner of most of the Bagh-e-Sheikh caravanserai also said: out of the area of ​​about five thousand square meters, about 600 square meters belong to several other owners, but more than five dangs belong to us.

“Mehdi Nami” added: “On the day that the Saveh Cultural Heritage Office was planning to renovate the building, I announced that it should be done with the knowledge and consent of all owners, and my consent alone is not enough because other people may be in front of us.” Stand up, so the other owners have to be convinced.

He added: “In total, apart from us, about 10 people in Bagh-e-Sheikh caravanserai have shares of 50 to 80 square meters, and it is necessary to obtain the consent of all of them, otherwise we will see work interruptions.”

The representative of the main owner of Bagh-e-Sheikh Caravanserai added: “When Saveh Cultural Heritage started to renovate the building, I talked to other owners and emphasized that this is not my job, but according to government law, it can be rebuilt and restored even with private property.” Historic buildings should act and my practice as the owner of most of the building is interaction and friendship with other owners.

He said: “In the conversation I had, except for the two female owners who have 40 square meters of the building, they agreed to sell their shares to me, but I emphasized that those two people should also be satisfied with the sale so that the ownership is equal and out of the common state.” .

Nami said: “We are ready to buy all the shares of other owners, but the normal price must be offered in this regard and they must give up unreasonable demands.”

He added: “My father-in-law bought the property of Bagh-e Sheikh Caravanserai when 30 people owned it, but he was able to buy the shares of 20 owners, and now about 10 small owners, who together have a share of about 500 square meters in this building.” There are also that any construction and reconstruction activities are subject to their consent.

Another owner of the caravanserai told IRNA: “Given that I am a retired cultural figure, I understand the importance of historical monuments and I believe that this valuable monument should be preserved for future generations.”

Momeni said: “My age requires me to avoid tension and war of nerves and I have never packed a bag for the caravanserai and my share of this building and I am ready to receive as much as I have from this building and the necessary cooperation to repair it.” And I will rebuild.

He continued: “I am not looking for a replacement for my share and I am ready to even provide some money and reconstruction work will be done so that after 2 or 3 years, it will face more added value.”

He said: “My sadness is that the cultural heritage did not even make a single contact with us as the owner to carry out the repairs of this building, and without coordination, it carries out such activities that affect the owners.”

He also complained that in the meetings held to organize the building, especially for the global registration, no copy of the minutes was given to the owners, and called this action a denial of their property rights.

Momeni stated: If I am given exchange land in the city of Saveh in exchange for the share of land I have from the caravanserai, taking into account its privacy, I am ready to interact.

He said: I have always paid khums on my property and in this age situation (67 years) I do not seek to make a profit and acquire illegitimate property for my share in the caravanserai, but it should be treated according to legal standards in this regard and the owner should be respected. Let.

The owner of a part of Bagh-e-Sheikh caravanserai said: the cultural heritage department should have a transparent behavior in the field of interaction with the owners, organizing and repairing Bagh-e-Sheikh caravanserai and gaining the trust of all shareholders, and make a clear estimate of costs so that everyone contributes. Pay for themselves and make a profit for them a few years later when the property finds added value.

Momeni emphasized: “My main request and that of other shareholders is to address our concerns. Although from the point of view of the judiciary and legal authorities, we have a title deed, but any move, whether in the field of improvement and restoration or the purchase of our share, must be fully transparent.” Should be done so that we do not have to worry about this.

Bagh Sheikh Caravanserai is one of the buildings of Zandieh period, which has sections such as Ab Anbar, Hosseinieh and Mihrab, and was nationally registered on the 14th of October 1975.

This historical monument was built in the early Qajar period by a person named “Abdul Ghafarkhan Khalaj” and was a resting place for caravans traveling to the cities of Qom, Isfahan, Hamedan, Qazvin and Tabriz.