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www.tehrantimes.com Experts have recently warned cultural heritage officials of the damage being done to the ruins of Gur, the first capital of the Sassanid dynasty, by farmers cultivating the lands beneath which most of the ancient city lies buried.
“Over 80 percent of the city, containing significant artifacts from the Sassanid era (226–651 CE), is being threatened by farmers’ activities such as irrigation, plowing, and leveling the lands,” Amir Piruz Daquqi, the director of the Firuzabad and Gur archaeological project said.
“The remains of the city’s walls are visible in some parts of the agricultural lands. Over 30 percent of the upper level of the city was flattened and its walls were seriously damaged by farmers’ activities over the years,” he added.
Part of the site of the ancient city of Gur has been under wheat, barley, and corn cultivation for the past 30 years.
“The extent of the damage will not be measurable unless experts carry out comprehensive studies and excavations on the ruins of the city,” Daquqi noted.
Located 10 kilometers from Firuzabad in Fars Province, Gur was established during the reign of the founder of the Sassanid dynasty, Ardashir I (224-241). Few studies have been carried out on the city, which is one of the five most important Sassanid cities. It covers an area of 300 hectares.
Excavations of the site can help answer many questions about the residential areas of the Sassanid era, said Mosayyeb Amiri, an expert of the Fars Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department.
He urged cultural heritage officials to buy the farmlands from their owners in order to prevent the destruction of the ancient city.
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