Concerns over Raisi's government's attempt to destroy Shiraz's historical fabric under the pretext of developing the "Shah Cheragh Shrine"
The Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, reported in a report that the Islamic Republic government authorities are attempting to destroy a large part of the historical fabric of the city of Shiraz under the pretext of "expanding the Shah Cheragh Shrine."
According to this report, fifty-seven hectares of the historical fabric of the city of Shiraz are to be destroyed.
ILNA writes that during the recent visit of Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, to Fars Province and the city of Shiraz, "the issue of the plan to expand the shrine and destroy parts of the historical fabric of Shiraz was raised," and according to the government's resolution, 200 historical houses around the shrine of Shah Cheragh will be removed from the list of cultural heritage so that the "plan to expand the shrine of Shah Cheragh" can proceed.
According to this report, this decision by the Ebrahim Raisi government caused activists, experts, and 180 university professors to write a letter to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran expressing their concern and demanding that the implementation of this plan be stopped.
According to ILNA, it has always been said that the area of Shiraz's historical fabric is 360 hectares and that there are more than 2,000 valuable houses in this area, but "in recent years, the destruction of the fabric and the destruction of various historical houses and structures has not only not stopped, but has continued rapidly. Even those buildings that are registered on the national list are not safe from destruction."
This report shows the authorities' disregard for the historical values of the city of Shiraz and says that the destruction of the historical fabric of Shiraz has been going on for a long time, and instead of each house and place that has historical value, "parking lots and restrooms" have been built, and "under the pretext of restoration, the roofs and tilework of Shiraz's historical houses are being stolen."
The ILNA report adds that in the past 15 years, 200 historic houses in Shiraz have been destroyed under the pretext of implementing a development plan.
Gholamhossein Memarian, a professor at the Iran University of Science and Technology who is one of the opponents of the plan to destroy the historical fabric of Shiraz, told ILNA: "In recent years, experts have protested about the way historical fabrics, especially the historical fabric of Shiraz, in writing, at conferences, on billboards, in speeches, and even sometimes sleeping in front of bulldozers, but unfortunately, the process of destruction in the historical fabric of Shiraz has continued."
He said that most of the destruction of Shiraz's historical fabric "occurred suddenly and at night," and "for several years in a row, we have been starting our day by hearing news of the destruction and destruction of the historical fabric of Shiraz and other cities."
According to this university professor, now that the thirteenth government is being formed, it appears that the same policy of destruction as the tenth government, the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is being pursued "in a different form."
Gholamhossein Memarian has said about the actions of the Islamic Republic authorities, "Instead of saving the historical fabric of Shiraz, the authorities are thinking of destroying it overnight."
According to this university professor, "preserving a historic city means preserving the common cultural and social values of the people that have emerged over hundreds of years. These values cannot be seen by preserving a single building or house."
Destruction of ancient, historical, and national monuments has been reported in various regions of Iran over the past four decades.
In September of this year, reports were published indicating that a historical monument dating back to the "fourth and fifth centuries AH" had been destroyed in the north of the country.
Source: Voice of America
