Beginning January 1, 2007, this page will include links to stories from the news on Persepolis, but not related to the Persepolis Fortification Archive. News stories on the archive will be in Persepolis Tablets in the News.
Archaeologists Unearth and Reopen the Achaemenid Swage System at Persepolis
The News Section of the Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)
Tuesday, 10 July 2012 18:51
Part of Persepolis sewage system unearthed
News is emerging today (15 February 2012) of the theft in October
2011, from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, of two pieces, one of them a
"Persian low relief of the head of a guard, dating from the fifth
century
BC. It is made of sandstone, and estimated to be worth hundreds of
thousands of dollars".
“There’s like 20 RCMP officers flooding my place, the sunshine’s coming in, the crystals are making rainbows everywhere, the bougainvillea flowers are glowing in the sunrise light,” Simon Metke, Edmonton yoga instructor, interviewed after Royal Canadian Mounted Police seized a Persepolis fragment from his meditation room.
“We are simply flabbergasted at what has occurred,” statement by Rupert Wace, UK art dealer.
The story was… strange. There was a fragment of a wall frieze – from one of the world’s best known historical sites, displayed by a major museum for more than sixty years, and then stolen from it in a seemingly random act that garnered much press attention. It was recovered after a lengthy investigation that included disseminating images worldwide. When it was found, almost by accident, among the stuffed toys and keepsakes of a yoga teacher in Edmonton, it was seized by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, prompting a Canadian meme: “Open up, yoga hoser!”
The museum chose to keep the insurance money, so the museum’s insurance company sold it to a London art dealer for over a million dollars. It should have had a quiet life from then on, perhaps in a private collection, then probably in another museum. The dealer exhibited, published, and promoted the object in England. Then in 2017, the dealer made an unfortunate choice; he brought it to one of the world’s great art fairs, The European Fine Art Fair, located in New York City’ Armory.
Read the rest
Did U Know: Persian Chicago BullThe oldest bull in Chicago came from a Persian palace. Chris DeRose takes us to the Oriental Institute to find out more.
Archaeologists Unearth and Reopen the Achaemenid Swage System at Persepolis
The News Section of the Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)
LONDON, (CAIS) -- Iranian Archaeologists have begun work on unearthing the Persepolis swage system, which in ancient times diverted rainwater from the platform to prevent flooding, reported the Persian service of ISNA on Tuesday.
According to the news, apart from the sewage system, archaeologists have identified three water and irrigation systems at Persepolis, which circulated water over the platform. The sewage system, which is one of the most complex systems in the ancient world, diverted excess water flowing down from Mount Rahamt, away from the platform.
The Achaemenid engineers constructed and implemented the sewage system inside the platform before construction of the citadel. The oldest sewage system at Persepolis is dated to the reign of Darius the Great (r. 550-486 BCE).
Archaeologists believe that by unearthing and re-opening the ancient waterways and the sewage systems, they will be able to resolve the flood issue that Persepolis has been suffering from, particularly in the past few years.
Last year archaeologists warned the authorities that if no necessary measures were taken immediately to resolve the flood issue at Persepolis, the ancient edifice will cease to exit within 10 years.
Part of Persepolis sewage system unearthed
06/06/12
Source: Tehran Times
A team of Iranian archaeologists has recently discovered 20 meters of a canal of the sewage system of Persepolis in southern Iran. The team led by Ali Asadi has been commissioned to carry out excavations of the sewage system to discover how the system worked during the Achaemenid era, the Persian service of CHN reported on Tuesday.
The sewage system is located in the southwest of the Achaemenid city near the city of Shiraz.
The team dug down about five meters to reach the canal, Asadi said.
A number of stone bas-reliefs have also been discovered during the excavations, he added.
Asadi said that the sewage system branches off into many canals, which extend to the south and then turn to the east.
Two valuable artifacts stolen from Montreal museum
joshua knelman
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
Published
Last updated
Video of a suspect has been released
Uploaded by themontrealgazette on Feb 14, 2012
Surveillance video of the Montreal
Museum of Fine Arts from Oct. 26, 2011 shows a suspect in the museum
that police and the museum believe may have stolen two archaeological
sculptures, a Persian bas relief and a Roman head of a man that are
worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. British-based AXA Art, which is
insuring the objects, hopes the public will recognize the individual and
call police. The company is offering substantial rewards for the return
of the objects and for the arrest of the suspect.
Achaemenid palace found in Iran
7:15 PM
Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient palace dating back to the Achaemenid dynasty in Dahaneh Gholaman located in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan.
Comparing the structure in the Dahaneh Gholaman site with Achaemenid palaces in Takht-e Jamshid and Pasargaad proved that the newly-found site dates to the Achaemenid era, said Kourosh Mohammadkhani, leader of the archeological team, IRNA reported.
The Dahaneh Gholaman site, in Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan [Credit: Press TV]
He added that the finding is the most significant achievement in the current phase of the recent study.
The Dahaneh Gholaman site comprises of 54 ancient structures, most of which were discovered during the years 1959 and 2008.
Takht-e Jamshid (Throne of Jamshid) or Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BCE) which is located in Iran's Fars Province.
Pasargadae was also the capital of another Achaemenid king, Cyrus (559-530 BCE), and is the location of his tomb. Recent research has shown that Achaemenid engineers constructed the city to withstand a severe earthquake.
Source: Press TV [July 31, 2011]
The Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives (Freer|Sackler Archives) received a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund to aid in the preservation of the Herzfeld squeezes in the Archives, which date from 1911-1934.
The squeezes contain Arabic script, Middle Persian, and Cuneiform impressions from archaeological sites: Bastam, Isfahan, Rayy, Samarra, Shiraz, Sunghur, Taq-i Bustan, Tus, Sarpul, Pasargadae, Persepolis, Naqsh-i Rustam, and Paikuli.
See today's notice of updates on Ernst Herzfeld Online Resources by Rachael Cristine Woody on the Smithsonian blog.
After several decades out of print, Oriental Institute Publication 69, Persepolis II: Contents of the Treasury and Other Discoveries, has been digitally reprinted. An Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf) version is also available for download.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Rachael Cristine Woody
Archivist
There are some very exciting activities happening around the Freer|Sackler Gallery, and in the Archives specifically. I am going to unveil to you my favorite object. I know I say that about a lot of the collections I show you, but this object really is an amazing specimen. Let me introduce to you squeeze 50A. For you to better understand, below are a couple definitions.
A squeeze: is a series of sheets of paper that are layered on top of each other and moistened to create a wet pulp affect. This substance is pressed upon the inscriptions capturing the impressionistic writing like a 3-dimensional negative affect. These inscriptions typically cover the ancient culture's mythology, and histories. The squeezes in the Ernst Herzfeld papers are roughly 80-100 years old. The squeezes have been made out of varying qualities of paper from very high grade, to cigarette paper Herzfeld must of had to use in a pinch. The squeezes have since been transported around the world, squished in non-archival approved ways, and suffer from various issues that affect all paper products.
Squeezing: Here, you see Herzfeld and his team on ladders applying the wet paper to the monuments of ancient Iran.Ernst Herzfeld: Archaeologist, art historian, and architect who excavated pre-Islamic and early Islamic sites.
Read the rest...
Iran publishes Persepolis petroglyph translations, PRESSTV, Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:33:30 GMT
Iran's Center for the Great Islamic Encyclopedia (CGIE) has published Persian translations of a number of Persepolis petroglyphs.
The inscriptions have been translated by Iranian linguist and inscriptions expert Abdolmajid Arfaei and published in a book titled Translations of Persepolis Walls.
In an interview with ISNA News Agency, Arfaei said that the book contains 164 texts translated between 1998 and 2003.
“The original texts belong to Iran's National Museum and there might still be some inscriptions which have not been translated,” Arfaei said.
“The book includes Persian and English introductions as well as a Persian grammar section,” he added, saying that the English preface contains information on the original location of the inscriptions and the people who used them during the Achaemenid era.
Arfaei who is an Elamite language expert and the founder of the Inscriptions Hall of Iran's National Museum has also translated over 2,500 Persepolis inscriptions, which are housed at the University of Chicago.
His Decree of Cyrus the Great is a detailed account of the inscriptions on the Cyrus Cylinder, considered to be the world's first charter of human rights.
Alla scoperta di Persepoli, by Tiziano Mainier, sabato sera online, 2 July 2009
Riemerge una parte sepolta della città, grazie agli scavi compiuti dagli archeologi italiani. Intervista a Pierfrancesco Callieri, direttore della missione.
An official of the Parsa and Pasargadae Research Center (PPRC) denied the destruction of a stone from the staircase structure in the Council Hall at Persepolis last week.
A block of stone from the northern stairway structure of the Council Hall was removed in the course of a restoration project that had been taking place over the past few weeks, the official, who requested anonymity, told the MNA.
The block was then reinstalled in-situ after deposits of sand and mud were cleaned from the fractures and crevices, he added...
Italian archeologists find commoner’s neighborhoods in Persepolis , adnkronos.com, Venerdì 5 Giugno 2009.
Rome – A joint Iranian-Italian archeological mission in Iran has made an exceptional discovery: the archeologists have found the first traces of the urban settlement in Persepolis, one of the five capitals of the Achaemenid Empire in ancient Persia, the construction of which began in 520 BC under the Emperor Darius the Great and lasted almost seventy years. In an interview with the “Tehran Times”, translated by the magazine “Archeologia Viva” (Giunti Editore), the Italian director of the mission, Pierfrancesco Callieri, professor of Archeology and Iranian Art History at the University of Bologna, affirmed that the new findings at the Persepolis site have furnished initial information on the city and on the neighborhoods where the common people lived. During the course of the excavations of the flat area at the foot of the Great Achaemenid Terrace and about 1 km from here, the team led by Professor Callieri discovered the first traces of a residential area which could correspond to the city of Mattezish, mentioned in the Elamite tablets in Persepolis. During the Achaemenid period (6th- 4th century BC), all the people working for the Imperial Court lived here, from functionaries to workers. Professor Callieri said that in one of the two excavation sites, “we localized a noteworthy structure, probably the walls of one of the building complexes of the city” instead in the other sites the archeologists localized “an artisan area with an oven and various waste ditches, surely connected to the work activities of the area as we found various ceramic pieces but also fragments of animal bones”.Achaemenid Persian Griffin Capital at Persepolis, Posted by Patrick Hunt, Archaeolog, May 4, 2009.
One of the most impressive yet enigmatic surviving capitals from Persepolis is an Achaemenid masterpiece: the double griffin protome capital. On the one hand, there ought to be more than one of these griffin capitals from before the 330 BCE destruction, although it seems that only this extant one is intact. On the other hand, it is possible that only one was sculpted, since no other griffin protome fragments exist from Persepolis. A few archaeological accounts suggest its emplaced context at Persepolis was from the Apadana, although this cannot be proven since only 13 of the 36 (arranged 6 x 6) columns have survived, given the “conflagration…and catastrophic end” recorded under Alexander. More than a few scholars, including Wiesehöfer, maintain that numerous structures at Persepolis were not destroyed in 330 but only parts thereof and that some use continued thereafter.
South Korean Diplomat Arrested with a Stolen Stone Relief from Persepolis while Leaving Iran, CAIS NEWS: Latest Archaeological and Cultural News of Iran and the Iranian World, 04 March 2009.
LONDON, (CAIS) -- The 3rd Secretary of the South Korean Embassy in Iran has reportedly tried to smuggle a priceless relic dating to the Achaemenid dynastic era out of Iran.
Customs officials in Shiraz Airport found the relic in the South Korean diplomat's luggage during check-in, before the diplomat succeeded in transporting the priceless relic of Persepolis, Persian daily Tabnak reported on Tuesday.
Iranian Police, however, had to release the diplomat due to his diplomatic immunity, the report added.
“Customs officials in Shiraz Airport found an Achaemenid relief depicting the top section of head of an Achaemenid soldier, weigh 2kg from Persepolis in the luggage of the 3rd Secretary of the South Korean Embassy in Iran,” Shiraz public and revolutionary prosecutor, Jaber Banshi told IRNA.
“The relic has been delivered to the provincial cultural heritage office, but no cultural official has filed a complaint so far,” he added.
The S. Korean embassy declined to comment on the issue when contacted by Press TV.
The customs officials sent the stolen piece back to the ruins of Persepolis.
It is not clear how the diplomat obtained the relic, despite the claim by IRNA that the he picked it up while visiting the Persepolis.
Marvdasht Public Prosecutor's Office: The Case of Persepolis Robbery and its' Destruction Still is Open, 03 March 2009. CAIS: The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies
LONDON, (CAIS) -- The case of destruction of part of Persepolis and the theft of an artefact are still open, and it is under investigation by the Marvdasht Public Prosecutor's Office, reported the Persian service of ISNA.
Until now 16 people from the excavation group and Security Unit office have been arrested, questioned and released on bail pending further investigations. The case was initially opened as the result of public and Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organisation's complaints, said Kazam Akrami from the Marvdasht Public Prosecutor's Office.
Akrami with commented on the lack of CCTV in the area and said we have interrogated security officers who are responsible for safeguarding the site and they have relinquished themselves from any responsibility, since they claim the robbed grave and its' contents were not reported to the Security Unit by the archaeologists, therefore the site was not included in the protection coverage zone.?
Afshin Yazdani from Archaeological Research Centre, back in January asserted that the Security Unit was aware of their excavation and the discovery of the grave.
It is not clear whether the archaeologists from the Iran Archaeological Research Centre had a duty to report their findings to the security unit, or if they had reported it, the security unit are denying their claim.
The robbed grave is only 100 meters away from their station.
The theft and destruction of the site took place on 17th January, after the discovery of an Achaemenid dynastic grave by archaeologists. The grave contained a skeleton, a ceramic beaker and a burner. The beaker was contained a grave offering which is now missing.
Archaeologists have found broken pottery near the grave, which could be the beaker - maybe it was broken in order to remove its' contents. Currently the broken pieces are in process of being reassembled and it is now 80% complete, to verify if they belong to the missing beaker. The point of reference is the pictures taken by archaeologists on the day of crime.
This is not the first time thieves have targeted Persepolis. The most puzzling theft from Persepolis was taken place in March 2006, when police seized a double-bull-headed capital in Kerman. The Persepolitan-capital was discovered in Kerman by vigilantes and reported to police. The artefact was bound to leave Iran for West. Neither, the ICHHTO, Persepolis officials or any of the Islamic Republic's state controlled news agencies had reported the robbery -- nor did they offer any explanation as how such a colossal capital which weighs few tones could be removed from Persepolis complex without the officials' knowledge.
Wonders of Iran: Persepolis, Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:47:14 GMT. By Tamara Ebrahimpour, Press TV, Tehran
["As German philosopher Friedrich Hegel once said, "The principle of development begins with the history of Persia; this constitutes therefore the beginning of history."...]
Experts excavating ancient water wells in Parsa, Tuesday, January 13, 2009, Tehran Times
["TEHRAN -- A team of archaeologists are currently excavating water wells of the ancient city of Parsa near the Persepolis...."]
Tomb of Cyrus sheds its metal cage, Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:59:46 GMT
["The restoration of the tomb of the founder of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great, has been completed and its metal scaffolding removed. After three stages of restoration, the structure stands strong and will not sustain any further damage. The work on the historical site has gained UNESCO approval..."]
Parsa emerges from the shadow of Persepolis, by Hamid Golpira, Mehr News Agency, Tehran, 12/01/08
["The ancient town of Parsa has begun to emerge from the shadows of Persepolis. An Iranian-Italian joint archaeological team has brought to light the first remains of the town of Parsa, which was the residential area of commoners just outside the palaces of Persepolis..."]
A five-centimeter fragment of a blue ware in the form of a wing is one of most
important artifacts unearthed by the Iranian-Italian joint archaeological team
during their latest excavation at the ancient town of Parsa near Persepolis.
Achaemenid era "eye stones" used either as the
eyes of statues or as amulets to repel the evil eye have been
discovered by the Iranian-Italian joint archaeological team during
their latest excavation at the ancient town of Parsa near
Persepolis.
Remains of a wall were brought to light at one of the trenches dug by the Iranian-Italian joint archaeological team searching for the residential area of commoners outside the palaces of Persepolis. It is believed to be one of the boundary walls of the city of Parsa.
"Iran, The Forgotten Glory", Nov 30, 2008, Iranian.ws
["IRAN, The Forgotten Glory" is an attempt to recapture the story of the glory of the ancient Persian Empire in a documentary film for the first time. Taking the audience on a 3000 year old journey, to visit the greatest empire of the Mesopotamian civilization, The Achaemenids, who’s territory extended from India to the boarders of Europe...."]
["...Twenty five objects were also unearthed in the area as a result of the current studies. The discovery included jewels, ancient weapons, and pieces left over from broken statues, potteries and azure plates..."]Iranian, Italian archaeologists excavating Persepolis
TEHRAN, Oct. 19 (Mehr News Agency)
In a blog entry entitled Let’s Abandon Achaemenid Studies, Jona Lendering reviews three recent volumes on the Achaemenid Empire aimed at general audiences (and he's not pleased):
1. Kaveh Farrokh’s Shadows in the Desert;
2. Tom Holland’s Persian Fire;
3. Bruce Lincoln’s, Religion, Empire, and Torture.
Persepolis under modern tech excavation
Sun, 04 May 2008 14:36:54 Press TV
Iran: Discovery of one of the ten largest Achaemenid buildings with a structure similar to Persepolis
02/08/08 (Payvand.com)
A report on this year's excavations at Noorabad, Mamasani, Fars province.
Achaemenid Soldier Fetched in London
Tehran, 27 October 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk)
Despite all oppositions made by Iran regarding the sale of the head of the Achaemenid soldier, it has been sold in Christie’s auction in London.
And see also: The Denyse Berend Persepolis relief fragment is for sale at Christie's, and Iran boycotts bas-relief sale at Christie's, and UNESCO not Support Iran to Retrieve its Achaemenid Soldier, and IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL, 1st February 2007. B e f o r e : THE HON. MR JUSTICE EADY. Between: The Islamic Republic of Iran, Claimant - and - Denyse Berend, Defendant: HTML VERSION OF JUDGMENT England and Wales High Court (Queen's Bench Division) Decisions, 1st February 2007, and British court's decision on the ownership of the Persepolis relief fragment bought in 1974 by Denyse Berend, as well as earlier comments by Derek Fincham, of Illicit Cultural Property: No renvoi in Iran v. Berend, and Martin George, of ConflictOfLaws.Net: Rejecting Renvoi: Iran v Berend.
Austria to help restore Persepolis
Sun, 07 Oct 2007 08:18:4.
"With a joint project estimated to cost 30 million euros, Iran and Austria will restore Iran's foremost historic site, Persepolis."
The Denyse Berend Persepolis relief fragment is for sale at Christie's again at the October 25th Antiquities auction (see the articles below from January and February 200). Apparently it has been suggested that the Iranian government purchase it, and aparently the suggestion is being rejected:
Iran boycotts bas-relief sale at Christie's
Sun, 02 Sep 2007 11:14:25 (PressTV).
and
UNESCO not Support Iran to Retrieve its Achaemenid Soldier
Tehran, 3 September 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk).
Iran's Apadana column restored
Wed, 18 Jul 2007 19:47:36 (PressTV).
Website featuring Achaemenid art
Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:37:05 (PressTV).
International Attempt for Cleaning up Lichen from Persepolis
ehran, 13 May 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk).
"Iran in conjunction with UNESCO has called an international cooperation for cleaning up the lichen from body of Persepolis World Heritage Site." [Nicely illustrated]
Persepolis outdoor museum to be opened
Thu, 22 Mar 2007 22:52:10. © Press TV 2007.
"A new outdoor museum in the ancient city of Persepolis, in southwestern Iran, is scheduled to open during Nowruz holidays, showcasing items belonging to Iran's Achaemenid and Sassanid eras."
A Glimpse of Things to Come
BY A STAFF REPORTER Friday, February 16, 2007 8:42:24 IST. © 2007, Cybernoon.
"... The Jeejeebhoy Dadabhoy Agiary at Navy Nagar was the scene of chaos yesterday. The ancient city of Persepolis, Persia, is being re-created in all its glory and splendour ..."
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE QUEEN'S BENCH DIVISION, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL, 1st February 2007. B e f o r e : THE HON. MR JUSTICE EADY. Between: The Islamic Republic of Iran, Claimant - and - Denyse Berend, Defendant: HTML VERSION OF JUDGMENT
England and Wales High Court (Queen's Bench Division) Decisions, 1st February 2007.
British court's decision on the ownership of the Persepolis relief fragment bought in 1974 by Denyse Berend.
Update: Derek Fincham, of Illicit Cultural Property, comments on the case : No renvoi in Iran v. Berend.
Update: Martin George, of ConflictOfLaws.Net, comments on the case : Rejecting Renvoi: Iran v Berend.
Ancient Middle East fascinates Mexican museum goers
Reuters, Fri Feb 2, 2007 11:44 AM GMT
"MEXICO CITY, Feb 2 (Reuters Life!) - Fascinated by cultures as old as their own, Mexicans are pouring into museum exhibitions in wonder at ancient Middle Eastern artefacts never before seen in the Western Hemisphere ... A stone plaque inscribed in cuneiform script from the ancient city of Persepolis, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BC, is one of the highlights. 'I didn't know Iran had such fabulous stuff, like gold cups and statues,' said retired clerk Sergio Zavala, 68, on his fourth visit to the Persia display. 'I always used to think of Iran and Iraq just as places of conflict,' he said ..."
Persépolis, arquitectura celestial o terrenal? by Manel Garcia Sanchez.
Preprint of an article to appear in AZARA, PEDRO; FRONTISI-DUCROUX, FRANÇOISE; LURI, GREGORIO (eds.), Arquitecturas celestiales, Actas del congreso internacional celebrado en el Centro de Cultura Contemporánea de Barcelona, 14-16 de septiembre de 2006 (sous presse, 2007).
Published online at Achemenet.
"Persepolis, one of the Achaemenid empire capitals has been seen as a secret and ritual city, designed for the celebration of the Zoroastrian New Year Festival or Now Ruz on the vernal equinox. The silence of the classic authors, of the biblical books and the ancient near east tablets, as well as the majestic relieves in which the royal hero fights against bestiaries, which are the symbol of the Evil Spirit, had been used as an evidence to confirm that suggestive hypothesis. Nevertheless, if we interpret the Persepolitan iconography in the light of what we know about the religion and the ideology of the Achaemenids and if we do not find dark means in the silences of the sources, we find that the design of the city responds more to a political, ideological and earthly functionality than a wish of reflecting a celestial architecture..."
London Court to Officially Announce its Verdict to Iran
Cultural Heritage News, Iran, 27 January 2007
"In a formal statement, London’s High Court will be delivering its recent ruling on bas-relief of the Achaemenid soldier, which was announced on Jan. 19, 2007, to Iran in two weeks.
According to Omid Ghanami, director of the Legal Department of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), the Organization is waiting to receive the written verdict to make follow-up decisions. He also said that Iran wills take actions against the court’s ruling if given the right to object to the final decree..."
Court of London Ignores Iran’s Ownership of Achaemenid Bas-relief
Cultural Heritage News, Iran, Mon Jan 22, 2007
Iran loses court battle over ancient carving
Reuters, Fri Jan 19, 2007 8:03 PM GMT
"LONDON (Reuters) - Iran on Friday lost a legal battle against an 85-year-old French widow over a piece of carved limestone from the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis.
London's High Court ruled in favour of Denyse Berend, who bought the artefact in 1974, in a case brought against her by the Iranian government which sought to reclaim the relief fragment..."
Museums face fallout in fight over carving
By Stephanie Condron
Last Updated: 2:35am GMT 17/01/2007
"A stone carving of the head of a guardsman from the ancient palace of Persian kings at Persepolis is at the centre of a High Court battle that could have worldwide repercussions for museums and art collections.
For more than 30 years, the 5th century BC relief has been in the possession of a Frenchwoman who bought it at an auction in New York in 1974 and displayed it on her living room wall..."
No ban on Persepolis in Iran: official
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 - ©2005 IranMania.com
"LONDON, January 16 (IranMania) - Head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization’s Research Center has said that enthusiasts, cameramen and researchers cannot be banned from entering historical monument of Takht-e Jamshid (Persepolis) in Fars province.
Seyyed Taha Hashemi told ISNA on the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony for Research Week that the competence of cultural and tourism stations is determined by the fact that they remain vigilant against any threat and at the same time they permit the entry of researchers and visitors to the sites..."
Persepolis to Host Biggest Horse Riding Festival in Iran
Cultural Heritage News, Iran - Jan 15, 2007
"Tehran, 15 January 2007 (CHN Foreign Desk) -- The biggest horse riding festival in Iran will be held in April/May 2007 close to Persepolis historic complex in Iran’s Fars province under the joint cooperation of sport tourism committee of Iran’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), Iran’s Equestrian Federation, and UNESCO..."
Fate of Iran's Bolaghi Valley hangs in balance
Monday, January 15, 2007 - ©2005 IranMania.com
"LONDON, January 15 (IranMania) - The reservoir of the Sivand Dam will be filled, pending archaeologists’ decision at a seminar to be held in Tehran on January 20, the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) Research Center director said at a press conference, MNA reported.
“All the archaeologists that participated in the rescue excavations of the Bolaghi Valley will present their reports during the seminar. If the reports indicate that the rescue excavations have been completed, the filling of the dam will begin,” Taha Hashemi added..."
Red stains removed from Iran's Persepolis
Thursday, January 04, 2007 - ©2005 IranMania.com
"LONDON, January 4 (IranMania) - A team of experts from the Parseh and Pasargadae Foundation announced that they had successfully removed the red stains from the floor and walls of the Hadish Palace of Xerxes in Persepolis, MNA reported.
The stains were left by a film crew shooting a TV series in late December that used red liquid to represent blood in a scene..."
Leading train through tunnel, only way to save Naqsh-e Rostam
Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran - Jan 1, 2007
After studying different alternatives for saving the cultural landscape of the historic site of Naqsh-e Rostam against railway construction, experts of Parse-Pasargadae Research Center concluded that the most effective way to prevent the railway from intruding the historic landscape of this Achaemenid site is to construct a 6-kilometer-long tunnel from Sivand to Shoul village and direct the train through the tunnel.
Announcing this news, Hassan Rahsaz, an expert in Parse-Pasargadae Research Center explained that the tunnel could be constructed at a distance of 4 to 5 kilometers from Naqsh-e Rostam without posing any threat to its ancient structures..."
