I am writing regarding the concerns in Iran about the demolition of nearly 900 acres of the historic context of Shiraz as part of a development plan to expand the Shah-e Cheragh shrine. We are hoping that this petition results in raising awareness about the matter on an international level to put pressure on the government to stop the destruction operation and preserve the historic district.

Shiraz is one of Iran's most popular tourist destinations for Iranian and foreign tourists. If in the pre-Islamic time, Pasargadae and Persepolis were the cultural heritage of Iranian civilization in the south side of Iran, from the Islamic era onward, Shiraz plays that role in that region by hosting several cultural heritage sites, including tombs, houses, gardens, and mosques dated back to Zand (1751-1779) and Qajar (1789-1925) periods, for example, Eram Garden which is listed in UNESCO World Heritage in 2011. The city guide provided for Shiraz by Lonely Planet, one of the globally known travel guidebook publishers, highlights the high cultural and historical values of the historic district of Shiraz as a great representation of Iranian civilization since the 18th century.

Shah-e Cheragh shrine is the third most important shrine in Shia Islam in Iran. The main purpose of the shrine’s development plan is to transform Shiraz into one of the greatest pilgrimage destinations in the region. This objective is meant to be achieved through the shrine’s expansion and its connection to other shrines located in the area, which passes through the historical district of the city. However, there are some debates that part of the plan is still achievable without the demolition of the historic houses and through the regeneration of the historic fabric, connecting the shrines through the old paths based on traditional urbanization.

The development plan of Shah-e Cheragh shrine, started around a decade ago, with the demolition of four historic houses in Shiraz. In 2017 the demolitions were stopped thanks to cultural and academic activists but started once again on a much larger scale. Based on the current development plan, 900 acres of the historic district of Shiraz are in danger of demolition for the development of the shrine. According to the secretary of ‘The National Campaign to Save the Historic Fabric of Shiraz,’ there are more than 2000 valuable historical buildings on these 900 acres only 410 of which are listed as Iran National Heritage. It is worth mentioning that a lot of valuable historic buildings in Shiraz have already been demolished in the past decade for not being listed as heritage sites, and a lot more are facing the same destiny. The main intention behind these demolitions is to expedite top-down developments by bypassing the required bureaucratic process and conducting relevant heritage legislation. 

According to media reports in Iran, the authorities and the municipality’s contractor have given a verbal ultimatum to residents of historic houses targeted for demolition to evacuate immediately. Although the acquisition process has not yet been completed, the demolition operation has begun. Fortunately, a national campaign has already started, raising awareness about the great cultural and historical value that this area holds. The secretary of the campaign also created an online petition last year with more than 43,000 signatures and the number is going up. This petition addresses the minister of cultural heritage Ezzatollah Zarghami to survey and list the invaluable historic buildings within the confined area as cultural heritage to put an end to the demolition process. However, since the beginning of the petition, no action from the government side has been taken and the demolition process has been pushed forward regardless. Fortunately, the initial phase of demolitions has had significant reflections on various news agencies as well as social media such as Instagram and Twitter since many pictures, videos, and documents have gone viral, and many experts have expressed concern about this issue.

The historic context of Shiraz is an important part of Iranian cultural identity which is visible through the urban fabric. It can also be considered a cultural world heritage, carrying Iranian values since the 18th century. This massive demolition will have a catastrophic impact on the historic fabric of Shiraz. These buildings are the cultural excellency of the nation and their destruction will damage Iranian's cultural identity. So far, most attempts in terminating these demolitions have remained ineffective. For this reason, we are writing this petition to bring the matter to the attention of international media and relevant organizational bodies beyond Iranian borders. We need immediate constructive actions against these demolitions to preserve this invaluable historic context.