TEHRAN--Following field and expert visits after the monsoon rains with the aim of diagnosing the damages of the historical sites and monuments on Qeshm Island, Hormozgan province, a series of serious hazards and damages were identified and restoration measures were planned.

According to IRIB, Azadeh Abedinzadeh, director of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts at the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, said that based on the results of the surveys, restoring the collapse of unstable rocks and the possibility of another collapse in the towers and the entrance footsteps of the Portuguese castles of Qeshm and the Naderi Laft castle are on the priorities of this management.

It is necessary to carry out the operations of debris collection, emergency restoration and structural stabilization of these parts with an expert approach and with the presence of skilled restorers at a favorable opportunity in order to prevent human accidents and further destruction, she added.

She continued that also, in the historical port of Laft, the necessity of designing and implementing appropriate fences and protective equipment around the historical wells of Tala has been notified to the management of the Laft historical base. This is an action that can play an effective role in preventing human dangers and unwanted damage to this valuable heritage, she added.

Abedinzadeh said that the historic Guran Dam, as the largest water structure on Qeshm Island, which underwent unprincipled restoration two decades ago, has become a crisis today, and with the intensification of the erosion process and the structural damage, it requires immediate restoration. 

The continuation of the current situation could expose this important historical and functional structure to more serious dangers, she warned. 

In this regard, with the aim of reducing the risk, repairing and reconstructing the mud dam of the historic Pey Posht Dam is also necessary to control and direct floods and prevent a decrease in the volume of water entering the dam, she pointed out.

She added that the historical sites and monuments of Qeshm Island require urgent, targeted, and prioritized conservation and restoration measures that can ensure the safety of visitors and the sustainability of these valuable works for future generations. “Our main mission is to protect heritage values and pass them on to future generations in a proper manner.”

KD