Revival of the Historic Dardasht Passage; A Step Toward Protecting More Than 70 Historical Sites in Isfahan
The Director-General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Isfahan Province, stressing the need to protect historic urban fabrics, said the revival of the Dardasht passage is an opportunity to preserve architectural heritage and strengthen tourism potential in one of the city's ancient neighborhoods.
According to the report of Aria's Heritage reporter, Amir Karamzadeh said on the sidelines of the celebration of the historical passing of Dardasht, which was held on Tuesday evening on October 21st in Shahshahan square with the presence of the President's Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-based Economy, said: Dardasht neighborhood is one of the main foundations of the formation of historical Isfahan, which has lost part of its former prosperity over the past few centuries, especially in the last century, under the influence of urban developments and the expansion of the city.
The General Director of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Isfahan Province stated that Dardasht neighborhood has valuable historical and architectural capacities, and continued: There are more than 70 historical monuments in this neighborhood, and Isfahan's Old Grand Mosque, as one of the works registered in the World Heritage List, along with historical houses, valuable mosques and imamzades of this area, form part of its historical and cultural identity.
Pointing to the implementation of the Dardasht historical pass revitalization project by Isfahan Municipality and under the supervision of this general administration, he added: In this plan, measures such as building walls, organizing urban bodies and pavements of the pass have been carried out in order to improve the quality of the urban environment, protect the historical values of the neighborhood and strengthen the presence of tourists.
Emphasizing the necessity of simultaneously paying attention to the protection of historical heritage and the development of tourism, Karamzadeh clarified: the protection of historical tissues is one of the main duties of the field of cultural heritage, and municipalities are also responsible in this field within the framework of their legal duties. The cooperation of urban management and cultural heritage trustees can provide the context for the revival of valuable historical neighborhoods and the return of life to these areas.
Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Isfahan province, referring to the measures taken to revive Isfahan's historical neighborhoods, continued: In recent years, measures have been followed in neighborhoods such as Jolfa, Naqsh Jahan and Dardasht; While some of these actions could have been done in the past decades, recent pursuits have created a new opportunity to protect and restore these areas.
He also said about the implementation scope of the Dardasht revitalization project: this route starts from the Baba Qasim tomb, one of the historical monuments of the Ilkhani period, and extends to the Sheikh Bahai bath area, and on the other hand, it also includes the Bazarche area of the Jamilan palace. The continuity of these areas can play an effective role in introducing the historical and tourism capacities of this part of the city.
In another part of his speech, referring to the process of preparing a comprehensive plan for the historical area of Dardasht, Karamzadeh emphasized the need to fully reflect the cultural, economic and tourism capacities of this region in the planning documents and added: In the conducted surveys, suggestions have been made to complete this plan, among which special attention can be given to handicrafts, tourism, and strengthening the axes related to the protection of the historical context.
Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Isfahan Province continued: Comprehensive plans are the basis for decision-making and implementation of many measures in the coming years. Therefore, it is necessary to consider cultural heritage, tourism, handicrafts and environmental requirements in the process of compiling and implementing these documents comprehensively.
He emphasized: the restoration of historical tissues can lead to a sustainable result when physical organization, protection of valuable buildings, strengthening of tourism activities and support of handicraft capacities are seen side by side, and urban planning proceeds accordingly.