Ancient Monument Unearthed in Northeastern Iran

The monument was unearthed about six months ago near the village of Azadvar of Joghatai town in Khorasan Razavi province. It was discovered by chance under the Kohan Dezh (Old Castle) Monument.

The civilisation of Khorasan Razavi dates back to about 800,000 years ago. The lifetime of some compounds unearthed in the province is estimated at about 6,000 years before the emergence of Islam. 334 historical hills, 136 compounds and 944 monuments have already been registered as national heritage in Khorasan Razavi province.

The latest monument was discovered by chance last year during a gas delivery operation in the region. To the astonishment of the archaeologists, the monument was located just 6 metres below the Kohan Dezh monument. This comes as Kohan Dezh is erected itself on a 15-metre hill.

The monument includes a circular and brick stair with a height of 12 metres with 30 steps. It also contains a water well with a depth of 20 metres and brick walls with 12 metres height.

According to the cultural heritage experts, under the siege, residents used the monument as a safe corridor. It is not clear yet when the monument was set up but experts estimate it was set up during Ghaznavid or Seljuk dynasties.

The titan monument is a historical place which can attract tourists from inside and outside of the country after undergoing some restoration operations.

An expert from the region says the proposal to register the monument as a historical one has already been discussed and approved by the local officials. “Administrative arrangements are being made to accomplish the registration process to minimize spatial damages,” he noted.

Ali Hassan-Abadi went on saying that initial estimations reveal the monument was erected during Seljuk dynasty. “We will begin our restoration operations after registration process is over,” he said.

The town of Joghatai with 48,000 population is located 350 km west of north-eastern city of Mashhad.