Total:23
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2026-01-21 17:20
By Afshin Majlesi
Water leaks, ground subsidence raise concerns at Isfahan’s UNESCO-listed mosque
TEHRAN - Iranian authorities and heritage experts are racing to contain what they describe as a structural threat to parts of the UNESCO-registered Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, also known as the Atiq Mosque, after a limited ground subsidence, water leakage and rising moisture were detected around one of the world’s most important Islamic monuments.
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2025-12-02 17:25
Cultural heritage minister: Persepolis has not suffered any deformation or damage
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.
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2025-09-24 17:43
National taskforce formed to address subsidence threat to Isfahan monuments
TEHRAN – Iran’s government cabinet has approved the formation of a National Taskforce to Combat Subsidence, which will operate under the supervision of the First Vice President, to safeguard Isfahan’s historical monuments and world heritage sites, Amir Karamzadeh, head of the Isfahan Cultural Heritage Department, said.
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2025-08-15 15:11
Land subsidence affects 254 plains nationwide: official
TEHRAN – According to the head of the Crisis Management Organization, Hossein Zafari, around 254 areas and plains in different provinces of the country are affected by land subsidence.
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2025-08-10 17:07
Iran monitors subsidence at UNESCO-listed Gonbad-e Qabus tower
TEHRAN – Iranian heritage authorities are carrying out subsidence monitoring and technology studies on the UNESCO-listed Gonbad-e Qabus tower in Golestan province, the provincial tourism chief said on Saturday.
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2025-06-09 17:59
4,000 historical sites, structures at risk from land subsidence, Iranian tourism minister warns
Tehran - Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, announced during Sunday’s cabinet meeting that approximately 4,000 historical sites and buildings across the country are under threat due to land subsidence.
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2025-05-25 17:40
Land subsidence threatens Achaemenid sites in southern Iran
TEHRAN - Experts have raised alarms over accelerating land subsidence near two of Iran’s most iconic archaeological sites – Naqsh-e Rostam, the necropolis of the Achaemenid kings, and Persepolis, the UNESCO-registered ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire – as unsustainable agricultural practices continue in the fertile plains of Fars province.
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2025/05/20
By Salman Parviz
Widespread land subsidence: a national crisis
Water security, a global issue
TEHRAN – Water supply in Iran largely depends on rainfall, snowmelt, and underground aquifers, but decades of over-extraction have left groundwater resources severely depleted. While the global water resources are stretched by climate change and human population growth, the farms and industries are increasingly turning to groundwater to fill their needs.
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2025-02-18 15:50
By Mehdi Zare
New Delhi earthquake: seismicity increasing with land subsidence
In the early hours of 17 February 2025, an earthquake with a magnitude 4 occurred near Jail Park in Dhola Kawan, New Delhi, at a depth of 5 km, which was strongly felt throughout the Indian National Capital Region.
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2025-01-11 15:07
Land subsidence, waste management main environmental challenges: head of DOE
TEHRAN –According to the head of the Department of Environment, Shina Ansari, controlling land subsidence and improving waste management are the two critical issues the country is facing.
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2024-12-17 17:46
Four restoration projects undertaken to preserve Isfahan mosque
TEHRAN - Four major restoration projects have been completed to address the emergency structural issues facing the Seyyed Mosque in Isfahan.
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2024-11-11 17:00
No land subsidence detected around tomb of Cyrus the Great, official says
TEHRAN - Mohammad Nasiri-Haqiqat, director of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pasargadae, has assured the public that no signs of land subsidence have been detected around the tomb of Cyrus the Great.
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2024-11-03 15:04
By Professor Mehdi Zare
Land subsidence threatens Takht-e Jamshid, Naqsh-e Rostam archaeological sites
TEHRAN - Land subsidence in the plains of Iran has affected the country's historical and archaeological monuments. The main cause of land subsidence in Iran is the excessive groundwater withdrawal for agricultural, industrial, and urban irrigation purposes.
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2024-10-15 17:11
Naqsh-e Rostam: limited excavation permit issued to address water penetration
TEHRAN - The head of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts has announced the issuance of a limited excavation permit for the ancient site of Naqsh-e Rostam.
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2024-09-23 18:11
By Afshin Majlesi
17th-century Imam Mosque in Isfahan at serious risk
TEHRAN - Isfahan’s historical Masjed-e Jameh Abbasi, also known as the Imam Mosque, is facing a looming crisis, with its structural integrity severely threatened by deep cracks caused by land subsidence and prolonged drought.
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2024-09-16 17:58
Climate change impact on Iran’s cultural heritage debated by task force
TEHRAN – On Monday, the first meeting of the Climate Change and Cultural Heritage Task Force was convened in Tehran.
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2024-04-23 17:17
By Afshin Majlesi
Dry river, sinking city: urgent measures needed to save Isfahan’s heritage
Accompanied by a group of journalists, we recently embarked on a journey to explore the Zayandeh-Rud river, tracing its origins near Zard-Kuh, a sub-range in the central Zagros range in Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province, all the way to the ancient city of Isfahan.
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2024-02-23 17:13
Land subsidence threatens Pasargadae, Persepolis, and Naqsh-e Rostam, expert warns
TEHRAN - The decline in rainfall, water scarcity, drying up of wetlands, and the turning of farmers to underground aquifers have led to the creation and intensification of land subsidence phenomena in Marvdasht plain of Fars province, which is home to treasured historical sites such as Pasargadae, Persepolis, and Naqsh-e Rustam, exposing them to serious risks.
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2024-01-03 15:19
Land subsidence in Iran five times global average
TEHRAN – The average land subsidence in Iran is five times the global average, according to the head of the National Cartographic Center (NCC).
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2023-10-11 18:00
Xerxes the Great’s rock-cut tomb under threat from climate change
TEHRAN - The rock-cut tomb of Xerxes I (l. 519-465, r. 486-465 BC), also known as Xerxes the Great, is under threat from land subsidence triggered by the climate change which is likely to speed decay, a cultural heritage expert said on Tuesday.
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2023-10-03 17:42
Majestic Naqsh-e Rostam under threat from climate change
TEHRAN - The hot summer, unauthorized deep-water drilling, and other challenges associated with the changing climate are threatening to destroy invaluable cultural landmarks including Naqsh-e Rostam, which is a majestic rock-hewn necropolis in southern Iran.
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2023-02-21 19:03
Land subsidence bill being finalized
TEHRAN – A bill on threats of land subsidence and the approach to deal with it is being finalized at the supreme council of provinces.
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2023-01-21 18:24
Land subsidence threatens 252 regions nationwide
TEHRAN - By implementing a subsidence rate monitoring plan, researchers at the National Cartographic Center identified 252 regions that are suffering from land subsidence.