The History of Persepolis Humanmade Jungle (1959-1961)

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

PhD Student, Department of Architecture, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose is to investigate the history of Persepolis Man-made Jungle, that was built to serve the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire (Imperial Celebrations).

Method and Research Design: Archival records of the National Archives of Iran and Harvard University Oral History Project were studied and analyzed using historical method.
Findings and Conclusion: Persepolis Jungle is a rare man-made jungle developed in Iran and one of the most extensive interventions in the Persepolis Historical Site. Mehdi Pirasteh, the governor of Fars was the mastermind and primary organizer. The Society of National Heritage disagreed with the plan and was against it since the intervention would have damaged the remnants of palaces and eliminated the potential for further archaeological excavations. However, the governor convinced the Shah, obtained royal confirmation, and implemented his plan. Despite the disputes about ownership, sapling and water supply, and budget, utilizing local technologies such as qanat, and local individuals’ participation in transferring their land free of charge decreased the costs.

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References

 

 English translation of references

 
Archival Document
NLAI, 98/293/8672/1; NLAI, 293/33378/17; NLAI, 350/5745/6; NLAI, 350/5745/7; NLAI, 350/5745/8; NLAI, 350/5745/9; NLAI, 350/5745/15; NLAI, 350/5745/19; NLAI, 350/5745/20; NLAI, 350/5745/31; NLAI, 350/5745/36; NLAI, 350/5745/37; NLAI, 350/5745/39; NLAI, 350/5745/46; NLAI, 350/5745/60; NLAI, 350/5745/61; NLAI, 350/5745/63; NLAI, 350/5745/65; NLAI, 350/5745/66; NLAI, 350/5745/71; NLAI, 350/5745/74; NLAI, 350/5745/75; NLAI, 350/5745/78; NLAI, 350/5745/83; NLAI, 350/5745/84; NLAI, 350/5745/85; NLAI, 350/5745/86; NLAI, 350/5745/87; NLAI, 350/5745/99.
 
 
 
 
 
Printed documents
 
“Asnād-e lāne-ye jāsusi-ye Āmrikā” (Documents from the U.S. Espionage Den) (Vol. 3). (1369/1990). documents no. 18, 22, 46. Tehran: Mo’assese-ye Motāle’āt va Pažuheš-hā-ye Siyāsi (Political Studies and Research Institute). [Persian]
“Mosāhebe-ye Ziā Sedighi bā Seyyed Mehdi Pirāsteh” (Zia Sediqi's interview with Seyed Mehdi Piraste). (1985). Tārix-e Šafāhi-ye Irāniyān dar Dānešgāh-e Hārvārd (Iranian Oral History Project at Harvard University). https://iranhistory.net/piraste/. [Persian]
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Agheli, Bagher. (2001). A Biography of Contemporary Iranian Political and Military Personalities. Tehran: Goftar.
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Barzin, Seyyed Saheb; & Alisoufi, Alireza. (1395/2016). “Vākāvi-ye peyāmad-hā-ye siyāsi-ye eslāhāt-e arzi dar Fārs” (Political implications of the 1960 Iran land reform in the province of Fars). Fasl-nāme-ye Ganjine-ye Asnad, 26(1), pp. 82-103. [Persian]
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Journals
“Fasl-nāme-ye Xabari-ye Pāygāh-e Mirās-e Jahāni-ye Taxt-e Jamšid va Pāsārgād” (Parsa and Passargadae World Heritage Sites Quarterly), 19(6), (1400/2021), p. 2. [Persian]
Online sources
Kadivar, Cyrus. (2009). “2500 Years: The Persepolis Celebrations of 1971”. Parsi Khabar. (Accessed in March 2022) <https://parsikhabar.net/culture/2500-years-the-persepolis-celebrations-of-1971/1510/>.
Jack Garofalo, Paris Match Archive, Getty Images https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/the-2500th-anniversary-of-the-persian-empire-pers%C3%A9polis-news-photo/166480627.
 
 

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History

  • Receive Date: 02 February 2022
  • Revise Date: 04 February 2022
  • Accept Date: 13 April 2022

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