“O Man Whoever Thou Art
and Wheresoever Thou Cometh,
For I know Thou Wilt Come:
I Am Cyrus
Who Founded the Empire of the Persians.
Grudge Me Not, Therefore,
This Little Earth That Covers My Body.”

Inscribed over the tomb of Cyrus the Great

With the flooding of the Sivand Dam, parts of Bolaghi Valley will be submerged and with it so will the remains of Iranian history from pre-Achaemenid era to the Arab invasion.  In addition, the moisture from the water reservoir will damage the fragile remains of Pasargadae which are made of limestone.
 
We are responsible for the future and subsequent generations.  It is our responsibility to preserve for our children and grandchildren what has been passed on to us by our ancestors.

The reports about Pasargadae and the dangers that it faces because of the Sivand Dam are contradictory. What is certain is that the moisture and humidity after the creation of the Bolaghi Gorge lake will cause damage to the remains of Pasargadae in the long-term. Does it make sense to invest in repairs and renovations of Pasargadae on the one hand, and on the other, build a structure that will eventually harm that site? Can we handle the responsibility of such significant damages in the future?

Further, it is impossible for the teams of international archaeologists to save and analyze all the ancient sites around the Bolaghi Gorge by the time the Sivand Dam is to be used. But even if they could, isn’t it enough that with the drowning of the Bolaghi Gorge, the King’s Road crossed by our ancestors for centuries and personally used by Darius the Great will also be gone forever? In our opinion, the ancient road used by Iranian men and women, who built Iran, is worth saving and preserving.

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http://www.cais-soas.com/News/Sivand/Sivand_news.htm

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