Italian team to partially restore Persepolis

A team of Italian archaeologists and restorers is scheduled to partially rehabilitate some ruined monuments and bas-relief carvings in Persepolis, which was once the ceremonial capital of the mighty Achaemenid Empire.

Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis
[Credit: Alborzagros/WikiCommons]

The team is associated with the foundation “Archaeology Without Borders”, which supports archaeological education and training in developing countries and helps to strength regional networks of students in archaeology.

The restoration project is set to be conducted from April 27 to June 7 based on an agreement Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization had reached with the foundation, IRNA reported.

The open-air stone works of Persepolis are threatened by spreading lichens due to periodic moisture that many experts believe are impossible to completely eradicate.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, Persepolis lies just only an hour’s drive from north-east of Shiraz, itself a major tourist destination of the country.

Persepolis boasts extensive structures, including monumental staircases, exquisite reliefs and imposing gateways as one of the great wonders of the ancient world.

Source: Tehran Times [April 17, 2019]