Ancient Gate of Parseh to become museum site with Italian assistance
Iranian and Italian experts are coming together to restore the ancient Tol-e Ajori archaeological site near Persepolis and convert it into a museum site that will open the remains of what archaeologists believe was the gateway to the ancient city of Parseh to visitors, local cultural heritage officials said, IRNA reported on Friday.
Tol-e Ajori, located about 3 km west of the UNESCO-listed Persepolis complex in Iran’s southern Fars province, contains the remains of a monumental Achaemenid gateway regarded by archaeologists as the entrance to the ancient city of Parseh, one of the ceremonial capitals of the Achaemenid Empire.
Known from archaeological and historical evidence as the Gate of Cyrus or the Gate of Parseh, the structure is believed to have been built before the Persepolis terrace and to have served as the main entrance to the city.
Archaeologists believe it was probably constructed during the reign of Cyrus because its design incorporates Babylonian art and architectural elements.
According to historical findings, the structure measured at least 33 by 33 meters and was built using thousands of glazed bricks.
Alireza Askari Chaverdi, an archaeologist at the University of Shiraz, said Tol-e Ajori occupied a special place in the cultural project “From the Gate of Parseh to the Gate of All Nations” because it served as the entrance to the civilization of Parseh and linked the Achaemenid Empire with Mesopotamia.
Chaverdi said archaeological excavations at the site had been completed and restoration plans had been sent to Italian counterparts for final approval.
He said that once the restoration plans were finalized, work would get under way on a protective structure around the site and on tourist access routes.
“The project will be carried out in three phases covering structural calculations, design and construction,” Chaverdi said, adding that technical specialists from Iran, particularly the Fars Province Construction Engineering Organization, would also take part to help convert the site into a museum as quickly as possible.
The Fars Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts is working with the provincial Construction Engineering Organization to turn Tol-e Ajori into a museum site accessible to visitors, according to IRNA.
Farzad Zarei, acting head of public relations at the Fars Department of Cultural Heritage, said on Thursday that the engineering organization would cooperate in the design and construction of the Tol-e Ajori museum site.
Speaking after a group of engineers visited the site, Zarei said the cooperation would draw on the province’s technical expertise in structural engineering, tourism planning and lighting design.
He added that the joint effort would create infrastructure to support sustainable tourism development in Fars province while paving the way for better protection and presentation of the region’s archaeological heritage.