Report by Tehran Times; photos by Ali Moarref, Islamic Republic News Agency
Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, a UNESCO-registered ensemble in southwest Iran which is known as a 'masterpiece of creative genius', has not been affected by flash floods and heavy rainfall that stroke almost all of the country in the past weeks.
"Fortunately, up to the moment, no major damage has been caused to the World Heritage site of Shushtar in Khuzestan [province]," Mohammad-Hassan Talebian, a deputy for the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, told IRNA.
The ensemble comprises bridges, weirs, tunnels, canals and a series of ancient watermills powered by human-made waterfalls. It is named after an ancient city of the same name with its history dating back to the time of Darius the Great, the Achaemenid king.
Referring to the intensity and duration of the recent rainfalls in the country, particularly in Khuzestan, the official said that some northwestern sections of Shushtar's watermills have been collapsed and the flooding still exists in the area.
"Large volumes of water do not make dredging possible, and we are waiting for water to dip."
Talebian said that a UNESCO representative has recently paid a visit to the ensemble in order to assess effects of landslide that had previously happened in the region.
"The representative will also conduct researches on flooding and its consequences on the World Heritage."
"Large volumes of water do not make dredging possible, and we are waiting for water to dip."
Talebian said that a UNESCO representative has recently paid a visit to the ensemble in order to assess effects of landslide that had previously happened in the region.
"The representative will also conduct researches on flooding and its consequences on the World Heritage."
Earlier in March, Mohammad-Hossein Arastouzadeh, the director of the world heritage site, announced that the ensemble is under threat of mineral salt and wastewaters that perpetually pass through.
"These days, due to the increase in salt contents in the waters flowing into this [world] heritage complex, dandruff and salt deposits are seen in different parts of the structure."
Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage list in 2009, the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System may testify to the heritage and the synthesis of earlier Elamite and Mesopotamian knowhow. According to UNESCO, the ensemble was probably influenced by the Petra dam and tunnel and by Roman civil engineering.
"These days, due to the increase in salt contents in the waters flowing into this [world] heritage complex, dandruff and salt deposits are seen in different parts of the structure."
Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage list in 2009, the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System may testify to the heritage and the synthesis of earlier Elamite and Mesopotamian knowhow. According to UNESCO, the ensemble was probably influenced by the Petra dam and tunnel and by Roman civil engineering.
About Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System:
Source: UNESCO's World Heritage
Shushtar, Historical Hydraulic System, inscribed as a masterpiece of creative genius, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Karun one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over an area of 40,000 ha. known as Mianab (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salasel Castel, the operation centre of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, damns, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the know-how of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as more recent Nabatean expertise and Roman building influence.
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