Featured: Explore Scotland (and everywhere else) with our Megalithic Portal iPhone app

Explore Scotland (and everywhere else) with our Megalithic Portal iPhone app

Random Image

Gorafe 141

Gorafe 141

Explore Cornwall with the amazing Megalithic Portal smartphone app

Explore Cornwall with the amazing Megalithic Portal smartphone app

Login

Register here - as a registered user you get more features and fewer ads.

Who's Online

There are currently, 973 guests and 2 members online.

Sponsors

<< News >> 3000 years of Iranian history wiped out overnight

Submitted by coldrum on Thursday, 22 November 2007  Page Views: 1270

Site WatchThe destruction of one of the biggest historical sites in the Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari province by the Islamic Republic Ministry of Road and Transportation was reported by the Persian service of ISNA on Monday, October 22.

"Overnight %60 of the architectural and archeological remains of Pol-Borideh in Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari province is being destroyed to construct a road. The ancient site was registered on the National Heritage List", said Aliasghar Noruzi, an archeologist with provincial CHTO.

He stated: "The Ministry of Road and Transportation acted irresponsibly, and ignored all the previous warnings of the Chahar-Mahal Bakhtiari Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organisation, prior to launching the new Khuzestan Highway project."

According to Noruzi, the ancient site was a settlement next to an ancient route known as Arjan-Lordegan-Esphahan, which was in use during a number of historical periods. In addition there were a number of architectural remains dated back to 1000 BCE as well as pre-history which have already been identified in the area.

He stated: "despite all the previous meetings, communications and warnings, the authorities of the Ministry of Road and Transportation have chosen to ignore and in an unexpected move they have flattened and destroyed the historical site overnight."

He added "Lordegan was one of the most ancient cities in the region and in many historical accounts have talked about its prosperous past, but to this date we have not succeeded in identifying its original location, nonetheless, Pol-Borideh could have provided us with many invaluable answers and could have assisted archaeologists in finding the ancient city, but now we have lost that chance."

Another local archaeologist who wished to remain anonymous for his safety said: "Israel should not be worried about the [Islamic] regime's threat of wiping it out from the map, it is us [Iranians] who should be worried, as the regime is determined to wipe us out of the map."

He added "everyday this anti-Iranian regime is coming up with a new plot to destroy our heritage. One day our heritage is being threatened by dam projects, the next its road constructions. They claim these are development projects, if this is the case why is our heritage being destroyed in the darkness of night and in secret - and why don't they sit down with the cultural authorities to find a solution to carry out their so-called development projects, and at the same time safeguard our national heritage?"

cais-soas.com.

<< Long-lost cave of Rome's founders discovered

Cotswold hoard to stay in county >>

Please add your thoughts on this site

Build your own Stonehenge! (Model)

Build your own Stonehenge! (Model)

Sponsors

More News

See all News →

Latest Visit Logs

  • Symi Castle
    “Requires a moderately steep climb to the castle. Not much ancient remains are visible, some medieva…”
    by longhintim · 16 Jul 2026
  • Mausoleum of Hecatomnus
    “The site and museum was open but access into the tomb was not when I visited”
    by longhintim · 16 Jul 2026
  • Incirliin Cave
    “Need to walk quite a bit of steps. More of a natural wonder with stalagmites and stalagtites than a…”
    by longhintim · 16 Jul 2026
  • Acharaca
    “The most prominent monument there is the remains of a temple of Pluto”
    by longhintim · 16 Jul 2026
  • Gavurtepe
    “An ancient mound clearly visible and recognizable, but no structures could be clearly identified. I…”
    by longhintim · 16 Jul 2026

"3000 years of Iranian history wiped out overnight" | Login/Create an Account | 1 comment
  
Go back to top of page    Comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content.
Destruction of Parthian Roudno reliefs by coldrum on Sunday, 23 October 2011
(User Info | Send a Message)
Destruction of Parthian Roudno reliefs and serious damages to the Achaemenid roc

Destruction of Parthian Roudno reliefs and serious damages to the Achaemenid rock tomb by explosives.

The only known reliefs and rock tombs in Baghmalek district known as Roudno (rūdnō) have been totally destroyed with explosives. The reason for destruction remains unknown.

Roudno is located 2km from Sarhāni and 45km from the town of Baghmalek in Khuzetan province, southwest of Iran.

The news of destruction was initially reported to Khuzestan's Friends of the Cultural Heritage Association (TARIANA) by Bakhtiāri nomads living in the area.

Despite the importance and uniqueness of the site, it had never been registered on Iran’s national heritage list – although registration of a site has no significance in the Islamic Republic, since so far the regime has not shown any care for the pre-Islamic Iranian heritage.

The media has blamed smugglers for the destruction who were allegedly searching for treasures, however, the evidence suggests otherwise.

“The explosives were placed over the two lower reliefs which have both consequently been completely destroyed and we no longer have any evidence of their existence as they had never been recorded” said an archaeologist with ICHTO who wished to remain anonymous for her safety.

“The actual rock tombs are located approximately three meters above the ground level, and in order to search for treasures, explosives are expected to be placed within the chambers which are easily accessible and not outside over the reliefs – therefore suggesting the destruction was intentional”, said the archaeologists.

She continued: “In addition, one of the explosives was placed adjacent to the opening of the chamber at the bottom of the upper relief, causing part of it to be destroyed. There is no reason to place an explosive there. It seems the guilty party intended to destroy the third relief and did not succeed since they either ran out of explosives or were disturbed.”

In the recent years the pre-Islamic heritage sites of the province, in particular the Achaemenid dynastic sites were subjected to a series of organised vandalisms and destructions, and it seems this one is in line with the previous destructions”, concluded the archaeologist.

The nomads blame the Arab immigrants living in the province for the destruction of the ancient site, and accuse the al-Ahwazi terrorist group allegedly financed by the UK.

Since the rise of the Islamic republic to power with the backings of West, particularly Britain, the regime has given residency to 750,000 immigrants from Iraq, majority of which are housed and given key jobs in Khuzestan province. The numbers are so high and pronounced that the Persian language in many places is no longer spoken, especially in banks and government buildings, to the extent that Khuzestanis see themselves as a minority in their own mother land.

“The Arab immigrants escaped to Iran from Saddam Hussain’s prosecution – now there is no threat to Shia population and therefore there is no reason for them not to return to Iraq – our Persian hospitality is overdone, especially when the guests hate the hosts and lay claims over our homes. The Islamic Republic is another Qajar dynasty who gave away our territories in the Caucuses and Central Asia. We Iranians should do something ourselves about this danger today as tomorrow it will be too late and the province after 2500 years of being Persian will turn to “Arabistan” and the dream of the enemies of Iran who wish to control oil-rich Khuzestan will become a reality”, said a worried Khuzestani cultural heritage figure who also wished to remain anonymous for his safety.

Roudno (also Roud-e No meaning 'the new river') is among many of the rock tombs in Baghmalek known to locals as Bard Gūrī (Pers. Gūr Dakhma). However, what separates Roudno from other rock tombs in the area, is its reliefs. In the area the rock tombs have usually been dated to the Parthian dynasty (248 BCE-224 CE).

Although this type of rock tombs dates to the Parthian dynasty, the 63cm tall relief carved adjacent to the entrance is puzzling, as it has an Achaemenid style hairdo, wearing a Parthian outfit and boots in an unfamiliar posture holding an object. It is also claimed to be a figure of a woman due to the feminine posture and hairdo, possibly was depicted a Parthian priestess.

Yunes Sharifee, spokesman for Baghmalek Friends of the Cultural Heritage Association after speaking with the Persian service of ISNA regarding the rock tombs said: “rock tombs are important in Zoroastrian religion as the bodies of the deceased were placed within the rocky chambers in order to prevent pollution of the sacred elements of air, wind and earth.”

The area is attractive to Bakhtiari nomads since it is covered with oak, lotus and turpentine trees. The area is also considered as a permanent base for the elderly who are no longer able to endure the nomadic life and annual winter and summer pasture migrations.

The cultural enthusiasts have called ICHTO to pay attention and protect Iran’s heritage sites in the province.

http://www.cais-soas.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=154:destruction-of-parthian-roudno-reliefs-and-serious-damages-to-the-achaemenid-rock-tomb-by-explosives&catid=47
[ Reply to This ]

Your Name: Anonymous [ Register Now ]
Subject:


Add your comment or contribution to this page. Spam or offensive posts are deleted immediately, don't even bother

<<< What is five plus one as a number? (Please type the answer to this question in the little box on the left)
You can also embed videos and other things. For Youtube please copy and paste the 'embed code'.
For Google Street View please include Street View in the text.
Create a web link like this: <a href="https://www.megalithic.co.uk">This is a link</a>  

Allowed HTML is:
<p> <b> <i> <a> <img> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <tt> <li> <ol> <ul> <object> <param> <embed> <iframe>
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.