TEHRAN -- Construction of a building at the perimeter of the Tarisha Temple is threatening the historical integrity of the Elamite site in the Izeh region in Khuzestan Province.

The building, which is being constructed at a distance of 500 meters from the temple, belongs to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Persian service of the Mehr news Agency reported on Tuesday.
The Tarisha Temple, which is also known as Eshkaft-e Salman, is home to the largest neo-Elamite inscription ever found in Iran. It also has four bas-reliefs, two of which are inside a nearby cave. One of the bas-reliefs depicts a woman beside a man and a priest in a traditional ceremony.
All Iranian organizations have been informed by the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) about the prohibition of construction projects on the perimeter of ancient and historical sites, Khuzestan Cultural Heritage Enthusiasts Society (Taryana) spokesman Mojtaba Gahestuni said.
“The organizations must obtain CHTHO’s permission for constructing any structure on the perimeter of ancient and historical sites,” he added.
However, the CHTHO has not granted the IRGC permission to build the structure.
A collection of Elamite bas-reliefs and inscriptions of the Izeh region, including the Tarisha Temple is to be submitted for registration on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
A hotel and an amphitheater had previously been constructed inside the perimeter of the Tarisha Temple grounds. The CHTHO filed a lawsuit against the developers however, it did not yield a positive result for the organization.
The structure has currently been turned into a dining hall.
Experts believe that the structures on the perimeter of the site are expected to thwart CHTHO’s efforts for registration of the Izeh collection on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In 2006, the inscription of the Tarisha Temple was tagged with graffiti by vandals. No effort has been made to remove the graffiti from the inscription so far.