Following extensive technical studies, the Persepolis World Heritage Site announced that a protection and restoration project for the historic inscription of Darius the Great will begin this week. "The restoration and protection workshop of the inscription of Darius the Great on the southern side of Persepolis will begin this week," the site's public relations office stated, according to Asriran.
The initiative aims to reinforce the damaged inscription, install a protective cover, and safeguard the area behind it to prevent moisture accumulation. "After protection and restoration, the visitor route to the inscription will be designed and implemented, and visitors will be able to visit the inscription," the statement added.
The inscription of Darius I, known as the "First Command of Darius the Great," is the largest inscription at Persepolis, the ancient ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Experts and archaeologists regard it as the most important document pertaining to the construction and establishment of Persepolis, insisting on its proper preservation and protection.
In recent years, the inscription suffered severe erosion due to climate change and inadequate protection, leading to the disintegration of parts of the historical document. In 2020, the previous management of the Persepolis World Heritage Site made an unscientific decision to empty the area behind the inscription without sufficient study or approval from relevant authorities and removed its temporary protective canopy. This action was intended to eliminate moisture but instead accelerated the erosion process.
Cultural heritage activist Siavash Arya highlighted the extent of the damage. Providing images of the deteriorated inscription to ISNA, he stated that it was seriously damaged due to climate change and erosion. "The largest and most valuable Achaemenid inscription of Persepolis, which is a dynamic and eloquent document of its construction, was seriously damaged," Arya said, according to Asriran. "Parts of the inscription have fallen off."
During a visit in March of this year, Arya described the scene as heartbreaking, realizing the magnitude of the destruction compared to photographs from previous years. He questioned who should be held accountable for the unscientific decisions that led to the irreparable damage. "The damage to the Achaemenid relics is irreversible," he lamented. "Undoubtedly, future generations will blame us for our negligence, and it will be recorded in history."
Arya urged immediate action to fill the area behind the inscription, address existing issues, and install a standard and suitable canopy to prevent further destruction. "The inscription must be scientifically and fundamentally restored by historical experts as soon as possible," he emphasized. "A suitable and standard canopy should be designed and installed to prevent further destruction of the inscription."
The inscription holds immense historical and linguistic value. Located on a large rock slab measuring 7.2 meters in length and 2.5 meters in width on the southern front of Persepolis, it is divided into four connected sections inscribed in different scripts: two in Old Persian, one in Elamite, and one in Babylonian. "This historical work has great linguistic value for experts because in this inscription, we encounter three languages and scripts," Arya noted.
The text provides insights into the social structure and religious beliefs of the time, reflecting the ethics and spirit of its creator, Darius the Great. A famous excerpt reads: "May the land of Iran be protected from enemies, drought, and lies." Another passage states: "As this fortress was built here, before it, no fortress had been built here; by the will of Ahura Mazda, I built this citadel... May it be that Ahura Mazda keep me; and also, this citadel, and beyond this, may it not be that whatever is established here falls into the hands of the evil and ill-intentioned."
Persepolis, also known as Parsa or Takhte Jamshid, was constructed in 518 BCE on the orders of Darius the Great at the foot of Mount Rahmat. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is located 57 kilometers from Shiraz in Marvdasht County and is not currently on the visitor path, though plans are underway to make the inscription accessible to the public after restoration.
As the restoration project begins, there is hope that the inscription will be preserved for future generations. The collaboration between conservationists, archaeologists, and engineers signifies a concerted effort to safeguard the invaluable piece of history. "This understanding increases the value of the inscription manifold and makes the duty of its preservation heavier," Arya remarked, underscoring the imperative of protecting the cultural heritage entrusted to the present generation.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.