TEHRAN -- Construction of a hospital in Yazd has spoiled the picturesque panorama of the historical city in central Iran.

The hospital, called Shahid Rahnemun, is being built at the first perimeter of a historical structure of Yazd, which has previously been registered on the National Cultural Heritage List, the Persian service of CHN reported on Tuesday.
The steel framework of the eight-story hospital being erected on Farrokhi Yazdi Street is easily visible as a sharply distinct object from the roof of the Amir Chakhmaq Mosque located in the historical district of the city of Yazd.
It is not clear if a permit was obtained from the Yazd Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department (YCHTHD) for the construction of the hospital.
In addition, the YCHTHD or any other relevant organizations have made no effort to stop the hospital project.
Construction of a library in the heart of Yazd is also threatening to the panorama of the city.
Iran plans to apply for registration of Yazd as world’s largest brick-made structure on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
However, a number of cultural analysts believe that the hospital and library projects will invalidate Iran’s application.
They dubbed the hospital project “another Jahan Nama Tower”, which has spoiled the horizontal panorama of Isfahan’s Naqsh-e Jahan Square, a complex of Safavid-era monuments registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1979.
Isfahan Municipality agreed to modify the Jahan-Nama Tower following UNESCO’s call in July 2004. However, the modification has not been completed so far.
Photo: The steel framework of the eight-story hospital is easily visible in the horizon of the city of Yazd in an undated photo