Restoration of Parts of Pasargadae Staircase

Tehran, 30 January 2006 (CHN) -- Some parts of the staircase of the “Holly Area” of Pasargadae, which was destroyed by illegal diggers who were looking for a hidden treasure, have been restored. However, the reconstruction of the staircase has not been completed yet.
“Although the destruction in some parts of the staircase is so dramatic that actually nothing has been remained from the original stones, during the first phase of restoration we were able to find parts which were remained nearly intact and stuck them back to the staircase,” said Hassan Rahsaz, a stone restoration expert in Persepolis.
“To stick the discovered parts to the staircase and to strengthen them we used resins. However, after these fragments are put back to their places we must make sure that they are securely stuck to the rest of the staircase,” explained Rahsaz about the restoration of the staircase.
The damage to some parts was so great that some stones were turned into tiny fragments impossible to be restored. However, to maintain the ancient texture of this staircase, the restoration experts will not replace them with new pieces of stones.
“Whenever employing new stones is necessary in order to preserve a monument, we will do it. While the staircase of the Holly Area is strong enough to survive, according to the restoration rules, we see no need to reconstruct the staircase using new pieces of stones,” explained Rahsaz.
Pasargadae is one of the most important historical sites of Iran, located in the Fars province. This marvelous monument was constructed by the order of Cyrus the Great, the founder of Achaemenid dynasty, and has been registered in UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites. This historical site is as important as the Persepolis and Cyrus's castles in Pasargadae, and the destruction of the staircase can be compared to the loss of one of the pillars of Persepolis.
Staircases of the “Holly Area” of the historical site of Pasargadae lead to some raised platforms which seem to be a place of worship. This is the reason the area is being regarded as a holly area. The history of the holly area goes back to the Achaemenid period.
The “Holly Area” is not located in the vicinity of Pasargadae Complex; thus there were no security systems in the area to protect it from illegal diggers and smugglers. However, after what happened to the staircase, the historical site of “Holly Area” is now being protected by the police department to prevent such depredations in the future.