Gerishna: The construction of Gold Bazaar of Gerash began on May 24th at the center of the city, among a rather late debate between pros and cons of the project. The jewelers’ guild, the City Council and the mayor are advocates of this project because, they argue, it heightens the security of the whole trade, and also has a huge influence on the economy and the general development of the city. On the other side, some of the activists in the field of cultural heritage stand against the project, at least with the present scheme, arguing that it does not take into consideration the preservation of the cultural monuments of Gerash. Among these activists, members of Gerash ICOMOS Society speak more openly and point out that since the Bazaar is being built in the old neighborhood of the city, it involves the demolition of old valuable houses, one of them at least 90 years old; and most importantly, the risk of damaging the BĀDGĪR (wind-tower, literally “wind catcher”) of Ghahreman-Khan’s old house.
The investors and the presiding engineers of the project respond to these concerns with an assurance that everything has been accounted for in the planning of the project, and the risk of any damage to the wind-tower has been eliminated effectively. “Gold Bazaar is going to be a symbol of the success of the private sector’s investment of in Gerash,” says Hormozi, the spokesperson of the City Council, “so, our vision should not be limited to only one side of the problem. In the last 2 years, we have tried to consider every aspect of the project.”
With the beginning of the construction at the site of Gold Bazaar, the debates are faded to the background. Azarbadegan, the representative of the jewelers’ guild, explains the specifications of the project: “it will be 1170 square meters, containing 22 units in the ground floor and 30 units in the first floor. We predict that the construction take one and a half to two years.” The Bazaar is modeled on the Gold Bazaar of Shiraz, with some modifications in order to make it more compatible with the climate of Gerash.
Some words and expressions in this news story:
Gold Bazaar: بازار طلا
Debates: بحث و تضارب آرا
pros and cons: موافقان و مخالفان
The jewelers’ guild: صنف طلافروشان
City Council: شورای شهر
preservation of the cultural monuments: حفظ آثار فرهنگی
investors: سرمایهگذاران
the private sector: بخش خصوصی
spokesperson: سخنگو
climate: اقلیم، آب و هوا