Sassanid bas-relief vandalized in southern Iran

TEHRAN,Dec.12(MNA) -- Part of one of the significant bas-reliefs of the Sassanid era has been vandalized at Tang-e Chogan, a gorge near the town of Kazerun in Iran’s southern province of Fars. The rock bas-relief depicts Sassanid king Bahram II (reigned 276–293) holding a mace and a number of Arab rulers are bringing him gifts. The head of the mace has been completely severed with a sledgehammer or similar instrument, member of the central council of the Association of Like-Minded Youth told on Sunday. Twenty percent of the severed piece, which had been left at the bas-relief, has been obliterated, Mohsen Abbaspur said. The rest can be reinstalled if a team of experts is hired for the task, he added. “Undoubtedly, the incident should be viewed with great alarm concerning the meager security measures provided for ancient and historical sites throughout Iran,” Abbaspur noted. There are five other Sassanid bas-reliefs at Tang-e Chogan, with only a small team of guards to watch over at the sites. He said that a small team of guards safeguards the site and five other Sassanid bas-reliefs located at a short distances from each other at Tang-e Chogan occasionally. Five of the bas-reliefs are surrounded by fences, which can easily be jumped over at any time of day, he added. There are no security measures in place at one site at all, he lamented. Abbaspur said that such inadequate security measures ease the way for abuse at the ancient and historical sites. In addition, the bas-reliefs are threatened by natural factors. Lichens and weeds growing in the narrow gaps and holes of the Sassanid bas-reliefs are gradually destroying these irreplaceable antiquities.