One of the historical hills in the ancient city of Gundeshapur, renowned as one of Iran’s significant ancient cities, has been reduced to rubble, leaving a pile of broken clay and bricks.
The destruction occurred without supervision from the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit, as reported by the Instagram channel “Miras Khabar.” A farmer reportedly used a flat loader to level the hill, motivated by personal interests.
Located south of present-day Gundeshapur and southeast of the tomb of Yaqub Leith Safari, the demolished hill potentially housed crucial archaeological sites, possibly including the ancient city’s hospital or university. This area has not undergone extensive archaeological excavation, complicating efforts to determine the exact historical significance of the destroyed site.
According to the latest update from Heritage News, a historical hill in Gundeshapur, nearly two meters tall, was flattened by a farmer using a loader to plant garlic and onions. This action uncovered a mixture of both broken and intact clay and bricks.
Continuing with the report, a recent visit to this site in the past few months revealed that the extensive area of Gundeshapur lacks adequate protection, despite its registration in the national heritage list back in 1310 (1931). According to regulations, such ancient cities must be safeguarded against any encroachments.
Cultural heritage experts had previously reached an agreement with local farmers allowing cultivation in many parts of this area, with the condition that designated historical hills remain untouched. However, the ongoing conflict between farmers and cultural heritage officials has now resulted in the irreversible destruction of this significant historical site.
