TEHRAN –The tourism chief of Isfahan province has said his directorate seeks maximum protection for the five historical bridges built over the Zayanderud River.

To achieve that goal, Alireza Izadi on Thursday urged the need for establishing a committee composed of Isfahan Municipality and other municipal bodies, CHTN reported.

One of our deep concerns in Isfahan is the maintenance of the five historical bridges constructed over the Zayanderud River, the official said.

Available documents show that over the past years, several meetings have been held on how to protect these historic bridges, especially the arch bridges of Si-o-se-pol ol and Khaju, the official said.

“Undoubtedly, protecting the valuable heritage of our ancestors, especially in the historic city of Isfahan, is possible with the participation and assistance of all urban institutions.”

On the southern edge of Isfahan lies Zayandarud, the un-navigable river that has been the major source of water in the region since the earliest settlements in its environs.

Until the transfer of the Safavid capital to Isfahan in the late 16th century, the river was well outside the city walls. Bridges, however, have been constructed across the river since as early as Sasanian (224-651) times.

Si-o-se-pol and Khaju are commonly known as the iconic bridges of Isfahan and are among the main travel destinations of the ancient city. The Shahrestan Bridge, located just outside the city to the east, is the oldest one to span the river in the vicinity of Isfahan, and its construction has been attributed to the period before the Arab conquest in the 7th century, displaying, according to Arthur Upham Pope, features of Roman Bridges.

The Safavid bridges helped control the flow of water and to manipulate it for the irrigation of agricultural lands and private gardens alike, as well as for the regulation and distribution of fresh water for the city’s consumption.

Most extraordinarily, however, the Safavid bridges of Isfahan were designed to partake in the city’s expanded arenas of public entertainment and leisure. Like a promenade, two of the Safavid bridges are affixed with wide walkways both open to the elements and covered for poor weather; they have seating niches and royal pavilions for recreation purposes.

AFM