Financial Tribune- The recent earthquake in Kermanshah Province has damaged some of the historical sites of Iran�s western provinces.

On Sunday night, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 rocked the Iran�Iraq border and claimed hundreds of lives and injured thousands. The quake damaged historical sites, mainly in Kermanshah and Ilam provinces, with damage ranging from 15-20%

Heavy damage was inflicted on the historical structures of Qasr-e Shirin, Dalahou and Sarpol-Zahab counties, whereas Behistun Inscription and Taq-e Bostan, Kermanshah's major attractions, remained unscathed, CHTN reported.

"Shah Abbasi Caravanserai, Khosrow Mansion and Chahar-Qapi in Qasr-e Shirin, Yazdgerd Castle in Dalahou and Zaj Manijeh in Sarpol-Zahab were the most affected sites," Jalil Balaei, the head of Kermanshah's ICHHTO office, said. The country�s oldest petroglyphs, Anubanini rock relief and Taqe Gara Fort in Sarpol-Zahab also survived the quake.

"Several large rocks rolled down near the inscriptions in the mountainous area and should be cleared," he added.

Balaei noted that the restoration of structures in the three counties requires about 8.5 billion rials ($200,000) and will be carried out immediately once the fund is allocated.

In Ilam Province, nine historical sites, mainly in Darreh-Shahr, have been damaged.

"Plaster moldings and walls of the ancient city of Seymareh, Mir Gholam, Pour Ashraf and Vali castles and Falahati Palace have shown fresh cracks," Abdolmalek Shanbezadeh, the head of Ilam's ICHHTO office, said. The walls of the archeological museum in Darreh-Shahr also show signs of stress, but fortunately, the museum objects and their showcases remained intact.

"About 5 billion rials and two months are required to restore the ruined structures," Shanbezadeh told ISNA, adding that his office cannot wait for the budget and intends to initiate restorations drawing on other resources.

The speed with which ICHHTO has surveyed and estimated the damages to the historical structures in just one day is amazing. Kurdestan and Lorestan provinces, which were also jolted during the earthquake, did not report any damage to their historical sites and relics.