Are ancient Susa’s problems ever going to be solved?

The current Iranian calendar year ends on March 20, 2009.

During the session, a plan for the restoration of the Shush Castle will be discussed, he said.

The replacement of the brick inscriptions used in the construction of the Shush Castle was a part of the restoration plan, which was halted due to objections raised by a number of restoration experts from the SCHC.

The decision to replace the artifacts with ordinary bricks was made by the Khuzestan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department (KCHTHD) several months ago after a study showed the artifacts were being threatened by erosion.

So, KCHTHD experts began to detach the bricks to transfer them to the castle’s storehouses as a so-called safe haven. The other experts did not agree with the plan for a number of reasons, including the fact that several of the storehouses have become completely dilapidated due to neglect.

The experts also plan to make a decision about the artifacts now being kept at the storehouses during the November 9 session.

They will also discuss a partially constructed passenger bus terminal that has been illegally constructed by the Shush Municipality on the perimeter of Susa.

The KCHTHD plans to buy the terminal and convert it into a guest house for archaeologists and other experts, Chitsaz said.

The restoration of the Shaur Palace, built during the reign of King Artaxerxes II (circa 404–359 BC), is another issue that will be discussed during the session.

“The restoration of the Shaur Palace’s columns, the removal of the garbage and weeds from the palace, and the establishment of a guardhouse at the site are other issues that will be studied during the meeting,” Chitsaz noted. 

In addition, the experts will examine the decision by an archaeological team to set a 1200-hectare perimeter for the historical metropolis of Susa.

A restoration plan prepared for Susa’s Apadana Palace is to be reviewed by the experts, he added.

“Fragments of the stones used in the construction of the palace will be relocated to their original places and some columns will be restored, so we will be able to see the Achaemenid palace’s splendid appearance again,” he stated.

So far, the SCHC and the KCHTHD have not been able to find any practicable solutions for the on-again, off-again hotel construction projects on the perimeter of the ancient city of Susa.

Last week, the owner of the Amir Zargar hotel construction project violated the perimeter of Susa by digging several excavations at the perimeter.

Meanwhile, an excavation of 100x100 meters had been dug for another hotel construction project, named Laleh, in May 2007.

The owners claimed the projects only commenced after Iranian cultural heritage organizations authorized them.

After all the brouhaha in the media, the session’s organizers appear to have decided to go through the motions to give the impression they are doing something to solve the problems.

MMS/YAW

END

MNA