Historic Christian Hospital ‘Mersalin’ in Kerman on the Brink of Complete Destruction

The historic Christian hospital ‘Mersalin’ in Kerman is on the verge of complete destruction due to lack of adequate supervision and attention.

The ‘Mersalin’ hospital located in Kerman is considered one of the most valuable and oldest historic buildings in the city, founded by Christian missionaries during the Qajar era and in the early twentieth century.

When Christian missionaries arrived in Kerman in 1276 solar year (1897 CE) as a military group under the supervision of Dr. ‘Dadsan,’ one of the military doctors of the British army, they decided to establish a hospital. The group included many Christian doctors, nurses, and health workers who, several years after their arrival in Kerman, succeeded in obtaining permission from Mozaffareddin Shah Qajar to build a hospital and named it ‘Mersalin.’

The registration of this hospital under the name ‘Mersalin,’ derived from a Christian term meaning ‘apostles,’ reflected the center’s connection with English medical missionaries. The purpose of establishing this hospital was to provide medical services to the people of Kerman and surrounding areas, which was one of the first modern medical centers in southeastern Iran at that time.

The services provided by this hospital to people at that time included: surgery, treatment of infectious diseases, and childbirth services. However, unfortunately, with the passage of time and due to changes in the medical system, this hospital fell out of medical use and, due to lack of budget for its repair and maintenance, became abandoned.

Due to its age and historical value, the Mersalin hospital was registered in the list of national monuments of Iran with number 1767 in 1375 solar year, but unfortunately in recent years, due to lack of adequate supervision and attention, not only have parts of this hospital gradually deteriorated, but it has also become a gathering place for homeless people and addicts, subsequently creating numerous problems for residents living around the building.

Due to the destruction of some walls and rooms in this hospital, movement of different people into the hospital building became easier, which caused this historic structure—a symbol of the country’s cultural heritage—after years to be on the brink of complete destruction. In recent days, news and photos documenting the destruction of this historic building have been circulated, which has deeply concerned cultural heritage activists and Kerman residents.

‘Morteza Nikro,’ the head of the General Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Kerman Province, stated in an interview about this historic building: “The damage inflicted on the historic Mersalin hospital has been caused by natural erosion and recent rainfall, and no human factor has been involved in its destruction.

However, we are ready to take necessary measures in cooperation with the Endowments and Charitable Affairs Organization in the field of Mersalin hospital tourism. I request from all executive bodies that own historic properties to support us in preserving this valuable heritage. I personally request from the governor to bring all relevant agencies to the table to participate in the repair and restoration of Mersalin hospital and other historic structures.”

The statements made by Morteza Nikro come at a time when not only the condition of Mersalin hospital, but also concerns about the condition of other historic buildings in the province have increased, following which cultural heritage activists have called for urgent measures to prevent further destruction of historic monuments.