TEHRAN -- A UNESCO delegation has voiced concern over the development of a shantytown near the Bam Citadel, which is part of a historical site registered on the World Heritage List.

A large number of tents, connexes and caravans have been set up to the northeast of the citadel. In addition, a gas station has been constructed on the perimeter of the site.

The UNESCO delegation visited the site on October 18 to assess the progress of the restoration project that began after a devastating earthquake on December 26, 2003.

The increasing phenomenon of living in tents, connexes and caravans began to occur after the governmental plans fell short of housing all the survivors of the earthquake.

The UNESCO delegation complained about the installation of the connexes and caravans and the construction of the gas station, the governor of the city of Bam told the Persian service of the Mehr News Agency on Wednesday.

“The problems will soon be resolved,” Hossein Shayeq said.

The Bam Citadel is part of the city of Bam and its cultural landscape, which were registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2004. 

At the same time, the historical complex was added to UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger, due to the severe damage to the city and its historical citadel caused by the earthquake.

A team of Iranian, Italian and German experts have been conducting a restoration project on the Bam Citadel after the earthquake.

The reconstruction of the citadels has been monitored by the UNESCO experts over the past few years.

UNESCO Asia and Pacific Unit director Feng Jing, who was a member of the delegation, praised the restorations. However, he said that the restorations fall short of the mark to let the UNESCO experts cross out the site from the List of World Heritage in Danger.

“If Iran meets UNESCO requirements in Bam, we would hope that the city will celebrate deletion from the list during the anniversary of the earthquake in 2013,” he stated.

Covering an area of 180,000 square meters, the Bam Citadel is located 200 kilometers south of the city of Kerman. The citadel was the world’s largest adobe building. 

It is not clear exactly when the Bam Citadel was built, but it is widely believed that it was originally constructed during the Sassanid era (224-651 CE). While some surviving structures date to the 12th century and before, most of what remains was built during the Safavid era (1502-1722).

MMS/YAW

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