TEHRAN--Based on technical reports and periodic assessments of Persepolis (also known as Takht-e Jamshid) in Fars province, no new or worrying events have been observed so far regarding the deformation of structures or damage related to subsidence, Minister of Cultural Heritage Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has said.

Referring to the recent remarks of Head of Iran's Department of Environment (DoE), he told Shafaqna: "Recently, the head of DoE announced that 30 provinces of the country have encountered the phenomenon of land subsidence. After raising this issue, concerns arose about the vulnerability of the country's historical monuments, and especially the world-class complex of Persepolis in the public space.”

He added: “In this regard, I presented a report to the Parliament's Cultural Commission on the extent of subsidence and its possible consequences on ancient monuments. After expert reviews, the commission approved the formation of a National Taskforce to Combat Subsidence, headed by the First Vice President; a headquarters that is currently on the Government's agenda and whose goal is to coordinate between agencies to manage the consequences of this phenomenon.”

He continued: “Regarding Persepolis, I must emphasize that this complex is continuously monitored. I myself have made several field visits to this site in recent years, and in addition, our colleagues are there permanently. Based on technical reports and periodic assessments, no new or worrying events have been observed so far regarding the deformation of structures or damage related to the subsidence.”

Salehi-Amiri emphasized: “Of course, the subsidence phenomenon is a very serious issue at the national level and requires long-term planning, but in the case of Persepolis, monitoring shows that the situation is under control. We are obliged to increase geological and structural monitoring so that if any changes are observed, the necessary measures can be taken quickly.”

KD