Recent reports reveal that bulldozers have been operating at the ancient archaeological site of Konar Sandal in Jiroft, Kerman Province. The village headman took it upon himself to demolish this 5,000-year-old heritage site in order to build a sports stadium for his community. When questioned about destroying such a valuable site, he reportedly said, “For me, the people matter—not the global recognition of an archaeological site” (Entekhab, June 1, 2025).
The headman even insisted, “I haven’t done anything wrong; I’m constructing the stadium based on the village development plan” (Kerman Now News Agency, May 31, 2025). While it has been reported that Jiroft’s Cultural Heritage Office filed a lawsuit against him (Kerman Now), the site itself has suffered from long-term neglect.
Entekhab pointed out the reckless nature of the headman’s actions, writing: “Who exactly are the people he speaks of? Bulldozers have been working through the nights for over a week now. Despite protests from the Jiroft National Heritage Base, no effective action has been taken, and, as usual, higher officials in the Ministry remain silent. Now, the Konar Sandal mound is littered with pottery fragments and systematic damage at the heart of the ‘Arta’ civilization’s remains—without anyone intervening. Jiroft was meant to gain global recognition; it was supposed to rewrite Mesopotamian history and reveal an invaluable civilization. Yet today, bulldozers are tearing through Konar Sandal, just as illegal diggers did two decades ago, as the site was abandoned for 20 years, and as no one speaks out or responds to the destruction of one of the region’s greatest historical treasures” (Entekhab, June 1, 2025).
Recently, at the “Bukhara Nights” event held in Jiroft on May 17, 2025, under the title “Jiroft Night,” local resident Ghaed Shirvani took the opportunity to speak, revealing the troubling state of the archaeological site. He highlighted that Konar Sandal, despite its significance, still lacks officially designated boundaries and protective zones. Shirvani detailed the legal and preservation challenges facing the site, yet his warnings seemed to fall on deaf ears (source: Entekhab).
Meanwhile, the village headman of Konar Sandal defends his actions by referring to the village’s development plan (known as the “Hadi Plan”), which is meant to regulate land use and urban planning. However, Kerman Now News criticized this justification, stating that such a plan, which disregards the historical identity and leads to destruction, cannot be considered true development but rather a step backward.
This situation also endangers Konar Sandal’s chances for UNESCO World Heritage registration. Ibrahim Besharati, head of Jiroft’s Cultural Heritage Protection Base, warned that the ongoing destruction threatens the site’s international recognition. He added that those responsible are focused only on constructing a sports facility, ignoring the invaluable historical and cultural significance of Konar Sandal (source: Kerman Now).
A New Perspective on the Konar Sandal Archaeological Site
Meysam Shahsavari, a faculty member of the Archaeology Department at Jiroft University, spoke about the unique significance of the Konar Sandal site: “Until recently, right at the entrance of Konar Sandal village near the Anbarabad crossroads on the right side of the road, there was a vast clayey land with nothing visible on the surface except a cemetery. This area is part of the Konar Sandal site and lies immediately adjacent to it. It holds special importance because it belongs to a different period than the other Konar Sandal mounds—specifically, the middle of the first millennium BCE (about 3,000 years ago) or the Iron Age, extending through the Achaemenid and Parthian periods. In other words, traveling from south to north across Konar Sandal reveals a historical sequence from the distant past to more recent times—from the third millennium BCE (around 5,000 years ago) or the Bronze Age at the southern mound and its surroundings, then the northern mound, and finally this particular mound—all connected and illustrating the continuous history of the region. Unfortunately, a large part of this mound has now been leveled by the Konar Sandal village council, transformed with tree planting, grass, and construction, which means the destruction and loss of this significant area.” (Kerman Now – June 10)
Striking Statements!
The head of Konar Sandal village, Bahador Joushani, who is responsible for the damage, spoke with Kerman Now. Joushani said, “I want the village to be properly organized. People ask me for water, electricity, gas, and development. I raised these issues with three ministers who visited Konar Sandal. With 500 households, if the entire village is declared a historic site, the only option left would be to evacuate the village and build a new town. While preserving cultural heritage is important, the village also needs to develop. Each household, with 4 to 5 children, wants to build and expects roads, infrastructure, and services from the village chief.”
He added that the Cultural Heritage Organization has so far failed to address these problems, saying, “My demand is that heritage be preserved without harming the people. The process of defining the site’s boundaries and protective zones has dragged on for twenty years. This has effectively frozen the village’s development and blocked any progress.”
When asked about his concerns over Konar Sandal’s potential UNESCO World Heritage status, he responded, “My priority is the people’s needs first, then the world heritage designation. I am working according to the approved village development plan and am currently constructing a sports complex based on this plan.” (Kerman Now)
While Joushani’s desire for his village’s growth is understandable, should development come at the expense of destroying an ancient civilization? Shouldn’t he have obtained proper authorization before initiating destructive activities and bringing heavy machinery onto the archaeological site?
Young Journalists Club, quoting Ghader Shirvani, head of the Cultural Heritage Base in Jiroft County, reported: “Any approval for construction in historical sites requires the endorsement of the Cultural Heritage Technical Council. However, this approval was granted without the presence of a Cultural Heritage representative, and it has been clearly stated that no such representative attended the meeting regarding this decision.
He added, “A judicial order had previously been issued to stop the destruction of the area intended for the sports complex, and an arrest warrant for the village head was also issued. Yet, due to the intervention of the former governor, the warrant was never enforced” (Young Journalists Club – June 1, 2025).
More importantly, this ancient site of great significance has been so neglected that a village head feels empowered to intervene and damage it.
In any case, the fate of this 5,000-year-old site—which was meant to be recognized as a World Heritage—is now in the hands of the village head of Konar Sandal. Although cultural heritage officials have taken some measures to prevent further destruction, we can only hope these efforts won’t be too little, too late.
