(De-)Revolutionising the Monuments of Iran
(2016) Heritage, Sustainability and Social Justice Postgraduate Symposium — Location: Melbourne (29.November.2016)
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- Authors
Van de Ven, Annelies 
- Abstract
- The revolution in Iran saw the country move from a monarchy to an Islamic Republic. While patriotism was allowed to survive, it had to adhere to a new form where national pride was placed in a Shi’a-Islamic identity over any other brand of Iranian nationalism. This not only necessitated political, economic and social changes but also a series of cultural shifts. These shifts played out in varied ways across the nation’s heritage, effecting most heavily its pre-Islamic and Pahlavi Era inheritance, both considered to be the product of irreligious and tyrannical rulers. While some sites seamlessly transferred from one cultural context to the next, others were ignored or even defaced. These sites were once again recast within the reformist movements of the late 1990s in which a rekindling of a more secular brand of nationalism occurred, often expressed in direct opposition to its Islamic revolutionary equivalent. This has further complicated the concept of Iranian identity, which has become an unstable foundation upon which to construct a uniform heritage policy. Finding a way to reconcile the two forms of nationalism has become central to the successful management and preservation of Iran’s heritage in order to reflect a complex nation with a long and rich history. This paper will examine three specific examples of heritage sites that were affected by the changes in Iranian nationalist culture: the tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae, Sa’dabad palace and the Azadi Tower. Each monument or complex represents different aspects of national memory yet all three are connected to the corruption of monarchic power, whether within the Achaemenid, Qajar or Pahlavi dynasties. An exploration of the similarities and differences between these sites before and after the revolution will then highlight the surprising creativity with which such heritage has been treated within the Islamic Republic.
- Affiliations
University of Melbourne
Citations
Van de Ven, A. (2016). (De-)Revolutionising the Monuments of Iran. Heritage, Sustainability and Social Justice Postgraduate Symposium, Melbourne. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/213673