TEHRAN – No damage to historic sites was reported following an earthquake with an average magnitude of 4.3 that rocked the ancient city of Izeh in southwestern Khuzestan province on Friday.

“Based on field visits by experts from the province’s cultural heritage, tourism and crafts department, no damage to historic remains and monuments has been reported so far,” said on Saturday. Izeh tourism chief Mehdi Faraji reported CHTN.

Buildings in the city, which were constructed with local and traditional materials during the Qajar period (1789-1925), have been abandoned and partially destroyed, so earthquakes here would have devastating consequences, the official added. .

Although only a few monuments in Izeh have been restored to their original beauty, the maintenance and restoration of these structures remains essential and requires the support and attention of local and national authorities, he noted.

Khuzestan is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Susa, Tchogha Zanbil and the historic Shushtar Hydraulic System, but it is a region of raw beauty where visitors could spend weeks exploring. The province is also the cradle of crafts and arts which the artisans have inherited from their previous generations.

Located at the head of the Persian Gulf and bordering Iraq to the west, Khuzestan was colonized around 6000 BC by a people having affinities with the Sumerians, originating in the region of the Zagros Mountains. The urban centers appeared there almost at the same time as the first cities of Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium. Khuzestan, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, came to constitute the heart of the Elamite kingdom, with Susa as its capital.

ABU / AFM