Revolution in Cultural Heritage

Revolution in Cultural Heritage examines the turbulent process of the Cultural Heritage Organization during the formation of Iranian modernity. To understand how Iranian identity was constructed in the modern world, it is essential to recognize its primary materials. One of the most important elements of national identity is the approach with which history is reinterpreted. This study answers what ideas about our historical heritage emerged when the desire for modernization peaked in Iran; how these ideas turned into practical programs that transformed our cities; and what was considered heritage and how it was treated. To address these questions, the modernization process of Iran is briefly reviewed, then focusing on the four decades after the 1979 revolution, the ideas and programs of cultural heritage administrators are discussed. Concentrating on the period from 1979 to 2013 (from the formation to the end of the Cultural Heritage Organization), the research is based on the core hypothesis that contradictions in cultural heritage stem from either theoretical foundations or executive management. The authors do not merely provide a descriptive-historical account; through critical inquiry into historical actors and detailed examination of the organization’s formation process, they strive to maintain a comprehensive perspective on the country’s history. The aim is to observe modern Iranian history through the lens of cultural heritage history and to understand the formation, functioning, and internal forces of the organization within this context. This historical research approach, combined with narrative language, attempts to trace the development path of a specific historical domain and reveal its contradictions and internal cohesion. By uncovering these capacities, the existing possibilities and limitations in historical arenas become apparent, demonstrating that history is not a predetermined singular path but a field of potential for the wills present in a given situation.