ICOMOS To Review Burnt City Dossier

Tehran, June 16, IRNA -- Representatives of 21 nations will convene in Doha, Qatar, to discuss registration of Iranˈs Burnt City and Meymand Cultural and Historical Landscape during June 16-18, said the deputy head of Iranˈs Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO). Mohammad Hassan Talebian added that lack of conformity of the dossier with UNESCOˈs standards was raised by ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), according to Iran Dailyˈs Monday edition. The Burnt City contains remnants of an ancient Iranian city located 56 kilometers off Zabol and en route to Zabol-Zahedan Road. Located in Sistan-Baluchestan province, it is an archeological site of a sizable Bronze Age urban settlement, associated with the Jiroft culture. The ancient city was one of the vital centers of Asian civilization and dates back to the 4th and 3rd millennium BCE. Covering an area of 151 hectares, it was one of the world’s largest cities where settlement appeared around 3200 BCE. It comprises hillocks with a maximum elevation of 50 meters. The city experienced four stages of civilization and was burnt down thrice before being abandoned in 2100 BCE. The astonishing discoveries at the site have revealed a highly advanced society. Talebian said the presence of electricity towers in Burnt City is the other problem issued by ICOMOS. ˈIt has been decided that the electricity towers be replaced with underground cables,ˈ he added. The official said this year, UNESCO has toughened the process of registration of historical monuments. “Currently, we have 50 monuments on the temporary list of UNESCO,” he said. ˈIf the dossier of Burnt City is registered globally, it can help promote regional peace.ˈ Talebian, however, noted that UNESCO may also return the dossier to the country. ICOMOS experts have stated that Burnt City, under the present circumstances, cannot be registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2014. “They found faults with some renovations made in Burnt City and its eastern precincts. They recommended ICHHTO allocate more time for conducting research on Burnt City,” he said. ˈThe global registration of Burnt City will motivate all entities to join hands in protecting and renovating this unique monument.ˈ Talebian also said the dossier for the global registration of cultural, historical and rural landscapes of Meymand contains flaws. ˈCurrently, measures are underway to remove them,ˈ he added. It takes time to conduct economic and social studies regarding Meymand. Since the result of studies was not ready last year, ICHHTO could not send the dossier to UNESCO. “When the dossier is ready, we will send it for global registration,” he said. Since a road passes through the ancient city of Bishapour, Fars province, its dossier is flawed and was not sent to UNESCO. Talebian noted that over 90 percent of Hirkani forests are located in Iranian soil, while the rest is in Azerbaijan. “We cannot register them on the global list until the political issues are solved,” he said. The dossiers of two natural heritages of Shahdad kalouts in Lut Desert and Arasbaran Protected Zone in northwest Iran would be sent to UNESCO by January 2015. Talebian said Iran contributed to the election of members of UNESCO General Assembly in a gathering held during June 2-5. “Norouz, as a successful dossier, was lauded there. In addition, Iraq and Turkmenistan have asked to join the Norouz dossier,” he said./end