A joint effort involving Iranian and Italian experts to restore and protect the world-famous Pasargadae in Fars Province has so far resulted in the successful restoration of about a third of the columns in the site�s citadel.

Hamid Fadaei, director of the world heritage site, was quoted by Borna news agency as saying that nine out of the citadel�s 30 columns, which had severely eroded, were restored with the help of Italian professionals.

�At the moment, we�re focusing on repairing the sandstones which form the foundation of the citadel�s Great Hall,� he said. Located just outside of the historical city of Shiraz, Pasargadae served as the Achaemenid Empire�s capital under Cyrus the Great in 6th century BC. The site, which also hosts the tomb of Cyrus, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 during the World Heritage Committee�s 28th session in Suzhou, China.

By Financial Tribune