UNESCO Assists Iran in Restoration of Two Historical Sites in Kermanshah Affected by 2017 Earthquake

UNESCO conducted a four-day mission (29 July -2 August) to Kermanshah Province to provide technical assistance to the Iranian Cultural Heritage Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) for the rehabilitation of historical sites that have been damaged during the devastating earthquake in Kermanshah Province, in November 2017, AVA Diplomatic reports.

The mission headed by Mr. Stefano De Vito, an expert in post-earthquake stabilization and consolidation, focused mainly on the rehabilitation of Moavenalmolk Takie Complex and Biglorbeghi Takie Complex located in the historical part of Kermanshah city.

“A great number of cracks, some of considerable width, are visible at the intrados of the dome of Moavenalmolk Takie Complex. They all are oriented in radial direction, almost regularly spaced”, said Mr. De Vito during his initial mission, funded by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF).  “This kind of structural decay is quite common in such typology of domes, and its most dangerous effect is the progressive reduction of the dome’s capacity to resist traction tensions along the horizontal directions”, he added.  “This first look at the current state of the fractures showed that the situation is serious, especially in light of potential new earthquakes”, the UNESCO expert warned.

In December 2017, UNESCO undertook a preliminary mission for post-earthquake damage assessment on heritage sites throughout Kermanshah province, which was also funded by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. Following that mission, ICHHTO prioritized the stabilization and restoration of Moavenalmolk Takie Complex and Biglorbeghi Takie Complex.

UNESCO will be providing technical assistance to ICHHTO over the coming months through a number of expert missions to support local experts in the rehabilitation of these two sites, which are of particular importance to the local communities, as they are used for mourning ceremonies marking the martyrdom of Imam Hossein during Ashura.