Sivand Dam
Encyclopedia
Sivand Dam is a planned dam
in Fars Province, Iran
. Named after the nearby town of Sivand
located northwest of Shiraz
, it has become the center of worldwide concern due to the flooding it will cause in historical and archaeologically
rich areas of Ancient Persia and possible harm it may cause to the nearby UNESCO
World Heritage Sites of Persepolis
and Pasargadae
.
On 26 January, 2007 Parviz Fattah
, the Islamic Republic's Energy Minister, announced that Sivand dam will become operational from "next week."
in the arid region, the planning and initial site construction began in 1992, then was stopped for further planning and was reactivated in 2003.
For the first decade, much of the planning was not made public; Iran's own Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization
(ICHO) was not aware of total area of flooding until 2003. When the intentions for the dam were made public, international concern was raised regarding damage to any archaeological sites, particularly the two World Heritage Sites. Rumors spread that the dam would place the two ruins underwater, spurring outcry and petitions of concerned experts and individuals. Scientists with the dam project dismissed the rumors outright and Iranian officials pointed some blame for the rumors on the political opposition parties from outside Iran. Iranian Ministry of Energy studies have placed the furthest reaches of the lake approximately 7 kilometers to south of the plain of Murqab that is 9 kilometers from Pasargadae and more than 70 kilometers to Persepolis.
However, Iranian officials from the Ministry of Energy and ICHO did acknowledge that the lake will flood 130 historical "remains" and invited international teams to help excavate the area before construction commenced. In 2004, the United Nations
issued an urgent international appeal for archaeologists to join the domestic effort to unearth and record what they could before the flooding. Teams from Germany
, France
, Italy
, Japan
, Poland
, and the United States
responded to the request for help.
One consequence of the dam's construction is an opportunity for extensive archaeological work in a historically rich area in a short amount of time. So far, the oldest sites the international teams have found are caves inhabited about 7,000 years ago. The archaeologists have uncovered a narrow 9-mile dirt road believed to be the Royal Passage of the Achaemenids, connecting the two ancient cities, that was in use until the 18th century.
The archaeological work has caused the construction schedule of Sivand Dam to be pushed back. The area was originally supposed to be flooded by end of February 2006, but the discovery of an Achaemenid era village and cemetery caused it to be delayed. Currently, the construction of the dam is estimated for November/December 2006 and/or until the international teams of archeologists announce that their excavations in the area are complete; the Iranian Ministry of Energy has agreed to halt the project if a "major site" is discovered.
and the site of his tomb.
Experts involved with planning the dam deny this claim, noting that the site is well above and away from the eventual waterline. However, it is unknown how the dampness caused by the dam will affect the ruins. Archaeologists and scientists agree that the rise in humidity from the new lake will speed up the destruction of Pasargadae to some degree. Although no preliminary environmental research has been carried out to assess the effects of humidity upon the constructions at Pasargadae, the Ministry of Energy believes it could be compensated by controlling the water level of the dam reservoir.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
in Fars Province, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. Named after the nearby town of Sivand
Sivand
Sivand is a village near Shiraz, Iran. It is located in the Sivand valley and is mostly known for the nearby Sivand Dam.Sivand has a warm climate and contains vast pastures. It has relatively dry winters with some occasional snowfall. Sivand is home to the Sivandi language, a central-Iranian...
located northwest of Shiraz
Shiraz
Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city in Iran* Shiraz County, an administrative subdivision of Iran* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Ara Shiraz, Armenian sculptor...
, it has become the center of worldwide concern due to the flooding it will cause in historical and archaeologically
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
rich areas of Ancient Persia and possible harm it may cause to the nearby UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Sites of Persepolis
Persepolis
Perspolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire . Persepolis is situated northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of modern Iran. In contemporary Persian, the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid...
and Pasargadae
Pasargadae
Pasargadae , the capital of Cyrus the Great and also his last resting place, was a city in ancient Persia, and is today an archaeological site and one of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-History:...
.
On 26 January, 2007 Parviz Fattah
Parviz Fattah
Parviz Fattah is an Iranian politician, former member of Revolutionary Guard and former Iran's Minister of Energy in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's cabinet -Biography:...
, the Islamic Republic's Energy Minister, announced that Sivand dam will become operational from "next week."
Planning and history
The Iranian government has planned Sivand Dam for over 10 years, with a location on the Polvar River in the Tangeh Bolaghi (Bolaghi Gorge) in between the ruins of Persepolis and Pasargadae. Intended to allow irrigationIrrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
in the arid region, the planning and initial site construction began in 1992, then was stopped for further planning and was reactivated in 2003.
For the first decade, much of the planning was not made public; Iran's own Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization
Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran
Iran Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization is an educational and research institution overseeing numerous associated museum complexes throughout Iran. It is administered and funded by the Government of Iran....
(ICHO) was not aware of total area of flooding until 2003. When the intentions for the dam were made public, international concern was raised regarding damage to any archaeological sites, particularly the two World Heritage Sites. Rumors spread that the dam would place the two ruins underwater, spurring outcry and petitions of concerned experts and individuals. Scientists with the dam project dismissed the rumors outright and Iranian officials pointed some blame for the rumors on the political opposition parties from outside Iran. Iranian Ministry of Energy studies have placed the furthest reaches of the lake approximately 7 kilometers to south of the plain of Murqab that is 9 kilometers from Pasargadae and more than 70 kilometers to Persepolis.
However, Iranian officials from the Ministry of Energy and ICHO did acknowledge that the lake will flood 130 historical "remains" and invited international teams to help excavate the area before construction commenced. In 2004, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
issued an urgent international appeal for archaeologists to join the domestic effort to unearth and record what they could before the flooding. Teams from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
responded to the request for help.
One consequence of the dam's construction is an opportunity for extensive archaeological work in a historically rich area in a short amount of time. So far, the oldest sites the international teams have found are caves inhabited about 7,000 years ago. The archaeologists have uncovered a narrow 9-mile dirt road believed to be the Royal Passage of the Achaemenids, connecting the two ancient cities, that was in use until the 18th century.
The archaeological work has caused the construction schedule of Sivand Dam to be pushed back. The area was originally supposed to be flooded by end of February 2006, but the discovery of an Achaemenid era village and cemetery caused it to be delayed. Currently, the construction of the dam is estimated for November/December 2006 and/or until the international teams of archeologists announce that their excavations in the area are complete; the Iranian Ministry of Energy has agreed to halt the project if a "major site" is discovered.
Potential effects on Pasargadae
Besides the certain flooding of 130 archaeological sites, larger concern has been levied at the dam's effect on nearby World Heritage Sites, particularly Pasargadae, an ancient capital of the Persian Empire built by Cyrus the GreatCyrus the Great
Cyrus II of Persia , commonly known as Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East, expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much...
and the site of his tomb.
Experts involved with planning the dam deny this claim, noting that the site is well above and away from the eventual waterline. However, it is unknown how the dampness caused by the dam will affect the ruins. Archaeologists and scientists agree that the rise in humidity from the new lake will speed up the destruction of Pasargadae to some degree. Although no preliminary environmental research has been carried out to assess the effects of humidity upon the constructions at Pasargadae, the Ministry of Energy believes it could be compensated by controlling the water level of the dam reservoir.
External links
- Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (German Archaeological Institute), Iran: Darre-ye Bolāghi (in English).
- Kamyar Abdi, Sensationalism vs. Rationalism. The Sivand Dam: political sensationalism vs. archaeological rationalism, September 12, 2005, Iranian.com.
- Ali Mousavi, Cyrus can rest in peace. Pasargadae and rumors about the dangers of Sivand Dam, September 16, 2005, Iranian.com.