TEHRAN –The preservation of the ancient town of Germi, northwestern Ardabil province, requires an adequate budget, a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage has said.

For better dealing with smugglers and illegal diggers, a specific budget line should be set aside for the necessary excavations in the historical region of Germi, Nasser Shokri explained, IRNA reported on Wednesday.

It is necessary to strengthen the cultural heritage associations in this regard to raise public awareness of the importance of conserving the cultural heritage and the need to preserve the history and civilization of the region, the official added.

The culturally-rich Germi and its surrounding lands have long been destinations for avid archaeology buffs and eco-travelers. Over the past couple of years, some seasons of excavation have been carried out in Germi and other villages nearby.

In November 2018, Iranian researchers discovered an Iron Age tomb in Germi, dating back to a time between 2500 to 3000 years ago, belonging to a child who was between 5 and 7 years old. It was unearthed in a survey aimed to probe the history of settlements in Yel Suyi, a ruined site majority of which is associated with the early Islamic era.

In December of the same year, several relics, dating back to Seljuk (1037–1194) and Il-Khanid (1256–1335/1353) eras, were unearthed in the vicinity of Alajouq fortress in Germi county.

Ardabil province is believed to be as old as the Achaemenid era (ca. 550–330 BC). Sources say that due to its proximity to the Caucasus, Ardabil was always vulnerable to invasions and attacks by the mountain peoples of the Caucasus as well as by the steppe dwellers of South Russia past the mountains.

During the Islamic conquest of Iran, Ardabil was the largest city in northwestern Iran, ahead of Derbent, and remained so until the Mongol invasion period.

ABU/MG