Sivand Dam - Bolaghi Gorge

Tange-Bolaghi is an area next to Pasargarde city which is largely unexcavated and which contains hundreds of identified cultural heritage sites (which need to be excavated) which will be SUBMERGED once the dam is in operation! (see the map which there's a link to below). Many thousands-year old artifacts have been discovered in this area amongst them remains of three Achamenid palaces - one attributed to Darius the Great has been in the past month or two! The flooding of the valley will result not only in a national cultural loss but a loss to humankind because afterall this is part of human heritage! Fringes of Pasargarde will also be submerged in water as the map clearly points out - which leads to a potential threat of humidity-damage affecting the Tomb of Cyrus the Great!

It is a FACT that this dam will FLOOD an immense un-excavated area containing invaluable traces of our cultural heritage! and the fact that it can potentially damage Cyrus' tomb is enough for this issue to be taken seriously!

Here are links from the Islamic Republic's own self-proclaimed "Cultural Heritage News Agency":

New Challenges on the Way of Inundation of Sivand Dam
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=6986

Oppositions to Inundation of Sivand Dam Still Continue
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?Section=2&id=6999

UNESCO and Heritage Experts to Hold a Meeting on Sivand Dam
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?Section=2&id=7055

Dam is threat to Iran's heritage - Unesco appeals for help as ancient sites face being flooded
http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story...378845,00.html

Mulla Sadra Dam begins devouring ancient sites in southern Iran
http://www.mehrnews.ir/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=347422

Salman-e Farsi Dam to Submerge a Sassanid City
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7059

The latest pictures from Bolaghi Gorge (February 2007)
http://savepasargad.com/News/tasvir&...%20bolaghi.htm

Google map-overview (Sivand Dam):
http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Images...erial_view.jpg
http://www.fmsokhan.com/archives/sivand.html

Quote:

Dr. Peiman Yusofi Azari, the head of the Iranian Forestry Office: The loss that will be caused by the Sivand Dam cannot be compensated by new forestation. Sivand Dam will destroy natural environment, agriculture and archaeological treasures of Bolaghi gorge and Pasargad plains. It also might destroy the mausoleum of Cyrus the Great Bolaghi Gorge is one of the most important archeological site in Fars province of Iran that will be drowned after the flooding of Sivand Dam

Zoroaster’s Kaba, a Potential Victim of Railway Construction
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=6833

Railway Likely to Knock Persepolis Off UNESCO’s List
http://www.chnpress.com/news/?Section=2&id=6793

Cultural genocide in the name of Islam
http://savepasargad.com/aa.from%2009...he_name_of.htm


You can visit these sites for cultural heritage news:

The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS)
News Updates:
http://www.cais-soas.com/NewsUpdate.htm
Archives:
http://www.cais-soas.com/News/archae...s_bulletin.htm
Special Section on Sivand Dam:
http://www.cais-soas.com/News/Sivand/sivand_news.htm

Cultural Heritage News Agency (CHN)
http://www.chnpress.com/heritage/?s=2

Save Pasargad Commitee
Persian section:
http://savepasargad.com/
English section:
http://savepasargad.com/european_languages.htm