TEHRAN – Restoration projects have commenced on several historical mansions, which are located in the ancient town of Shushtar, the tourism director of the ancient town has said.

Of the centuries-old mansions is the Qajar-era Khaneh Mostofi, whose damaged parts are being repaired, renovated, or being strengthened, CHTN quoted Ali-Mohammad Chaharmahali as saying on Saturday. 

In December, the official announced that nearly all historical sites and monuments in the city and its outskirts needed restoration work. 

Situated in southwest Iran, Shushtar is home to numerous sites dating from prehistorical times onwards, he noted.

Since last summer, more than eight monuments, including houses and sabats, have been restored using government funds, the official said, adding some others are also being overhauled by private investors.

The town is also famed for being home to the UNESCO-registered Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, known as a “masterpiece of creative genius”. The ensemble comprises bridges, weirs, tunnels, canals, and a series of ancient watermills powered by human-made waterfalls. It is named after an ancient city of the same name with its history dating back to the time of Darius the Great, the Achaemenid king.

Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2009, the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System may testify to the heritage and the synthesis of earlier Elamite and Mesopotamian knowhow. According to UNESCO, the ensemble was probably influenced by the Petra dam and tunnel and by Roman civil engineering.

ABU/AFM