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Open Letter on the Dire Condition of Taq Kasra

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Open letter to:

Her Excellency, Ms. Audrey Azoulay

Director-General
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)Paris, France

According to the reports, a representative of the Iraqi National Assembly recently released a video showing the fall of a part of cracked roof of Taq Kasra, urging for quick action in order to save this ancient site. According to this official a section of the roof, larger than a meter across has fallen from the roof of this majestic archeological site endangering the integrity of the whole building and structure. However, as far as we know no response and assistance has been provided to this call to this date by any of the Iraqi authorities.

Taq Kasra, also known as the Arch of Ctesiphon, is the world’s largest brick vault and the symbol of the Persian Empire from the Sasanian era (224-651 AD). The monument is located about 35 km south of Baghdad, in modern-day Iraq, which was, at the time, part of Persian Empire. Taq Kasra is also considered one of the most beautiful and unique architectures in the world. Since many of the historical monuments in Iraq are part of the historical identity of Iranians, we believe that the preservation of these sites are greatly important not just to the Iraqis but also to Iranians.

Unfortunately, since the Iranian government has continuously behaved in a negligent manner towards preservation of pre-Islamic sites even in Iran. We, as the first non-governmental organization (NGO) in the United States of America working on preservation of Iran’ s cultural heritage and countries that are suffering from poverty, war and neglected governments, urge your attention to the dire condition of Taq Kasra immediately. While we understand that Taq Kasra has not yet been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List due to lack of interest and consideration of the two governments of Iraq and Iran, UNESCO is still obliged to pay attention to damage and destruction of a major archeological site which could be considered a part of the
collection of the cultural heritage of humanity.

With Regards,
Shokooh Mirzadegi
Executive Director of World Cultural Heritage Voices
www.wchv.org

Tourists Destroy Massive Louvre Installation Within Hours

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On the evening of Friday, March 29, a massive collage was installed around the glass pyramid in the Napoleon Court of the Musée du Louvre. It was a tribute recognizing the 30th anniversary of the museum’s formerly disdained (but now beloved) I.M. Pei-designed structure, the museum’s third-most popular work after the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo.
By Saturday morning, the homage was destroyed. Some visitors trampled over it; the paper became unstuck and disintegrated. Other Instagram-minded shutterbugs tore pieces off and took them home for souvenirs.
For “The Secret of the Great Pyramid,” famed French street artist JR used 2,000 pieces of paper to create an optical illusion of the Louvre’s steel-and-glass pyramid emerging from the abyss of a rock quarry.
It took 400 volunteers four days to assemble the piece, which spanned the 18,000-square-foot plaza. It was JR’s largest work to date.
On Saturday, the artist tweeted a photo of what the work looked like before it was opened to the public. From the perspective of a storeroom on the third floor of the museum, the pyramid seemingly doubles in height.
He wrote: “The images, like life, are ephemeral. Once pasted, the art piece lives on its own. The sun dries the light glue and with every step, people tear pieces of the fragile paper. The process is all about participation of volunteers, visitors, and souvenir catchers.”
Talking to the Huffington Post, a spokesperson for the Louvre reiterated JR’s sentiments: “It is to be expected that it would be damaged, but we did not know how quickly it would happen.” They added that it was scheduled to be taken down on Monday, April 1, anyway. This isn’t the first time JR has utilized Pei’s pyramid in his work: In 2016, he covered up the entire landmark with a photo, utilizing the distortion of perspective known as anamorphosis to creating the optical illusion that it had disappeared. This weekend’s short-lived project was dedicated to Agnès Varda, the late influential filmmaker who died last week.
https://nypost.com/2019/04/02/tourists-destroy-massive-louvre-installation-within-hours/

Taq Kasra Partially Collapses

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According TaqKasra.com — On 7 March 2019, parts of Taq Kasra collapsed only two
years after the completion of a conservation operation by Avers. The Czech firm had
been commissioned by the Iraqi Ministry of Culture.
Taq Kasra, also known as the Arch of Ctesiphon, is the world’s largest brick vault and the
symbol of the Persian Empire in the Sasanian era (224-651 AD). The monument is
located about 35 km south of Baghdad, in modern-day Iraq, which was, at the time, part
of Persia.
According to NRT TV, Kazim Shammari, head of the Iraqi National Alliance, has urged
Iraqi authorities and UNESCO to act quickly to stabilise this massive arch.
Amsterdam-based Pejman Akbarzadeh, who recently made a documentary film titled
“ Taq Kasra: Wonder of Architecture ,” says the Czech firm in charge of the recent
conservation operation lacked sufficient expertise and experience in such conservation,
and used a layer of concrete which, rather than protecting the arch, has resulted in
damaging the edifice.
Akbarzadeh, in an interview with London-based Persian-language ‘ Iran International ‘
TV, has criticised Iraqi authorities for failing to register Taq Kasra as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site. He also criticised the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad for neglecting this
iconic monument in favor of Shia shrines in Iraq.
In Tehran, several newspapers have covered the partial collapse of Taq Kasra. The
Society of Iranian Archaeology has also expressed its concern about the situation in a
press release. In the city of Yazd, Sepanta Niknam, a Zoroastrian member of the City
Council, has urged Iranian President Rouhani to follow up on the issue during his trip to
Iraq. There has been no official reaction to this development by Iraqi or Iranian
authorities.

Flood Damages the Tomb of Cyrus the Great

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The devastating flash flood in Fars province, Iran hit the tomb of Cyrus the Great.
According to report from shira, there are no relief groups near the tomb of Cyrus
Pasargadae was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC), who ordered its construction. It is located near the city of Shiraz, in what is now Iran. Today it is an archaeological site and one of Iran’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites

International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims

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International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning
Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
24 March

On 21 December 2010, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 March as the International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The date was chosen because on 24 March 1980, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero of El Salvador was assasinated, after denouncing violations of human rights.

In a study conducted in 2006 the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that the right to the truth about gross human rights violations and serious violations of human rights law is an inalienable and autonomous right, linked to the duty and obligation of the State to protect and guarantee human rights, to conduct effective investigations and to guarantee effective remedy and reparations.

The study affirms that the right to the truth implies knowing the full and complete truth as to the events that transpired, their specific circumstances, and who participated in them, including knowing the circumstances in which the violations took place, as well as the reasons for them.

In a 2009 report on the Right to the Truth, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights identified best practices for the effective implementation of this right, in particular practices relating to archives and records concerning gross violations of human rights, and programms on the protection of witnesses and other persons involved in trials connected with such violations.

The Commission on the Truth for El Salvador was established in accordance with the Mexico Agreements of 27 April 1991 to investigate serious acts of violence that had occurred since 1980 and whose impact on society was deemed to require an urgent public knowledge of the truth.  In its report of 15 March 1993, the Commission documented the facts of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar ArnulfoRomero by pro-government forces, the so-called “death squads”.  He was shot dead by an assassin as he celebrated mass on 24 March 1980.

UNITED NATIONS

Nowruz in Ancient Persepolis

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Nowruz in Ancient Persepolis
Print by Fariba Doroudian

Fariba Doroudian is a brilliant Iranian American artist born in Tehran, Iran in 1968. In 1986 she immigrated to the U.S to follow her passion in the fine arts. By 1987she received awards and a scholarship from Maryland College of Art and Design. In 2001 she received a Fine Arts degree from Montgomery College. Stylistically, her paintings are a combination of both realism and surrealism. Her earlier work centered on the ruins of the ancient Persian city of Persepolis with subtle earth tones. Her recent works are combine bright vibrant colors and different subjects. She also paint on many surfaces including glass, leather and fabrics. In addition, she have worked as an independent artist for Fragrance companies and also painting for pleasure.

Happy Nowruz March 21, 2019

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Nowruz is first day of Spring and the beginning of the Iranian year . Nowruz is celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox , on 20th March or the previous / following day depending on where it is celebrated. Nowruz is celebrated and observed by Iranian people as well as several other countries across Asia including Afghanistan, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan and many more. The new year starts at the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day or exactly when the Earth has completed one cycle around the Sun.
The celebration has its roots in Ancient Iran. Due to its antiquity, there exist various
foundation myths for Nowruz in Iranian mythology. The Shahnameh dates Nowruz as
far back to the reign of Jamshid, who in Zoroastrian texts saved mankind from a killer
winter that was destined to kill every living creature. In the Shahnameh and Iranian
mythology, Jamshid is credited with the foundation of Nowruz. In the Shahnama,
Jamshid constructed a throne studded with gems. He had demons raise him above the
earth into the heavens; there he sat on his throne like the sun shining in the sky. The
world’s creatures gathered in wonder about him and scattered jewels around him, and
called this day the New Day or Now-Ruz. This was the first day of the month of
Farvardin (the first month of the Persian calendar). On Nowruz, families gather together
to observe the rituals and celebrate the beginning of the new year.
In addition, it is believed that originally the celebration was the holiest Zoroastrian
festival, and Nowruz is believed to have been invented by Zoroaster himself, although
there is no clear date of origin. Since the Achaemenid era, the official year has begun
with the New Day when the Sun leaves the zodiac of Pisces and enters the zodiacal sign
of Aries, signifying the Spring Equinox.
International Nowruz Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, in
its resolution A/RES/64/253 of 2010, at the initiative of several countries that share this
holiday (Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

PHF Announcement: Iranian New Year 1398 is named as the “Year of Ferdowsi”

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Iranian New Year 1398 is named as the “Year of Ferdowsi”.  Pasargad Heritage Foundation (PHF), observing its annual tradition, and on the occasion of “Nowruz” – the Iranian festival and celebration of the beginning of Spring and Persian New Year – has named the year 1397 (Iranian Calendar) as the “Year of Ferdowsi”. Every year, on the advent of beginning of Iranian New Year (which coincides with the beginning of spring), Pasargad Heritage Foundation (PHF) designates a name for the coming year that signifies and symbolizes a certain aspect of its mission. PHF is an organization established a decade ago outside Iran with the aim of preserving Iranian cultural heritage and has observed this practice of designation of the New Year for the last ten years. The main purpose is to emphasize the priceless values of the ancient cultural heritage of Iran that are exposed to constant destruction due to negligence of the relevant authorities in that country.

Ferdowsi Tusi (c. 940–1020), (also spelled, Firdawsi, Firdusi, Firdosi, Firdausi) was
a Persian poet and the author of Shahnameh ("Book of Kings"), which is the world's longest epic poem created by a single poet, and the national epic of Greater Iran.

Ferdowsi is celebrated as the most influential figure in Persian literature and one of the greatest in the history of literature.

Pasargad Foundation Awards “Personality of the Year 2019”

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The Pasargad Heritage Foundation Presents:

The Nowruz Award March 21, 2019.

This press release has been published by the Pasargad Heritage Foundation to the Personalities of the Year for their vision and efforts to preserve the national, cultural, historical, and natural heritage of Iran that also belongs to all humanity.

Dr. Shahrokh Razmjou is the recipient of “The personality of the year” award, in the category
of “Cultural and Historical Heritage”

Dr. Shahrokh Razmjou, is an archeologist, researcher, university professor and a Member of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran in the Department of Archeology.
Dr. Razmjou is also the translator of a new updated translation of the text on the Cyrus Cylinder
from Babylonian to Persian.
He receives the 2019 Personality of the Year Award” for:
– His several decades of research on the intangible values of Iran’s national historical
heritage.
– His extensive research on the relationship between the charter and personality of Cyrus.
– His writings and broad reaching work on new and contemporary look at the relevant and
important influences of ancient and medieval history on Iranian history.
– Establishing the Inscriptions Hall at the National Museum of Iran.
– Establishing the Centre for Achaemenid Studies at the National Museum of Iran.

Read the entire article on this page

Professor Seyed-Emami is the recipient of 2019 “Nowruz Award for Personality of the Year in the Field of Environment and Natural Heritage.”

Dr. Kavous Seyed-Emami was a sociologist, environmentalist, university professor, co-founder
and director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation. We honor Professor Kavous Seyed-
Emami posthumously for his life of dedication and hard work on behalf of Iran’s natural heritage
and his tireless efforts devoted to conservation and preservation in Iran. Professor Seyed-Emami
is the recipient of 2019 “Nowruz Award for Personality of the Year in the Field of Environment and Natural Heritage” for:
– His comprehensive planned projects for the preservation of Iran’s natural and environmental heritage.
– For his extensive work on implementation of projects for rare animal habitat projects in Iran and Asia focusing on protecting and saving them from extinction.
– For his efforts to bring together international researchers and experts in the field of
environmental subjects and assist them in order to help Iran’s environment.
– For organizing programs in order to inform and educate people about the environmental
issues in Iran and assisting artists to engage people about the environment.
– For his decades of tireless struggles, devoted determination and a dedicated life to
preservation of Iran’s natural heritage.

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Mr. Parviz Sayyad, playwright, director, producer and actor of theater and cinema, is the recipient of 2019 “The Norouz Award for Best Artist of the Year in Theater and Cinema.

He receives this award for the following reasons:
– For his tireless decades of efforts and a life dedicated to Iranian cinema and theater both in
Iran and in exile.
– For his life time of artistic and creative ingenious on behalf of Iranian cinema and theater with exceptional artistic standards.
– For creating lasting characters in Iranian cinema and theater.
– For commitment to art and paying special attention to artistic values.
– For his devotion to human rights and not forgetting human rights violations in Iran, and its
reflection on simple and popular drama.

Read entire article on this page

 

 

The Nowruz Award 2019 – Dr. Shahrokh Razmjou

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Dr. Shahrokh Razmjou is the recipient of “The personality of the year” award, in the category of “Cultural and Historical Heritage.”

Dr. Shahrokh Razmjou, is an archeologist, researcher, university professor and a Member of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran in the Department of Archeology.
Dr. Razmjou is also the translator of a new updated translation of the text on the Cyrus Cylinder from Babylonian to Persian.
He receives the 2019 Personality of the Year Award” for:
– His several decades of research on the intangible values of Iran’s national historical
heritage
– His extensive research on the relationship between the charter and personality of Cyrus
– His writings and broad reaching work on new and contemporary look at the relevant and
important influences of ancient and medieval history on Iranian history
– Establishing the Inscriptions Hall at the National Museum of Iran
– Establishing the Centre for Achaemenid Studies at the National Museum of Iran

Bio

Shahrokh Razmjou is an Iranian archaeologist and historian, specializing in Achaemenid
Archaeology and History. He received his Ph.D in Achaemenid Archaeology at the University of
London. In 1998-1999, he established the Inscriptions Hall and later in 2001, the Centre for
Achaemenid Studies at the National Museum of Iran. Between 2009 and 2012, he was curator
of Ancient Iran in the Department of the Middle East at the British Museum, and during this
time, he produced a new updated translation of the text on the Cyrus Cylinder from Babylonian

to Persian. Dr. Razmjou has worked widely on Persian heritage and also excavated the ancient man-made caves of Niyasar, Kashan.

Dr. Razmjou has written extensively on Achaemenid Archaeology. Some of his outstanding work include: “Left Unfinished: The ‘Unfinished Gate’ of Persepolis as Key Evidence for Architectural and Construction Procedure at Persepolis”, Stories of Long Ago, Festschrift für Michael D. Roaf, eds. H. Baker, K. Kaniuth and A. Otto, Alter Orient und Altes Testament 397, Münster: 481-495 (2012), and “Persepolis: A Reinterpretation of Palaces and Their Function”, The World of Achaemenid Persia: History, Art and Society in Iran and the Ancient Near East, Proceedings of a conference at the British Museum 29 September-1 October 2005, eds. J. Curtis and St. J. Simpson, I.B. Tauris, London, 231-245. His earlier notable writings included “Religion and Burial Customs”, a chapter in: Forgotten Empire, the World of Ancient Persia, 150-180, and “The
Palace”, with J. Curtis, a chapter in: Forgotten Empire, The World of Ancient Persia: 50-103, published by British Museum Press in 2005.

Dr. Razmjou is currently teaching at the Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran.