Tehran, Dec. 31, 2009: A statue of the Sassanid king Shapur I (241–272 CE) will be restored in the near future if Iranian cultural officials provide the necessary funding.

The statue is located in a lofty cave near the Chogan gorge. It is also located near the ruins of the ancient city of Bishapur, which is situated 19 kilometers north of the town of Kazerun in Fars Province.

A plan for restoration of the huge statue has recently been completed, and the Fars Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department and the Parsa and Pasargadae Research Center are scheduled to implement it, the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization reported on Tuesday.

A stalagmite was used in creation of the 7-meter sculpture, which is believed to have fallen down because of an earthquake in the past, resulting in its hands being smashed.

In 1957, a team of experts from the Iranian army raised up the statue again and did some restorations, which partially ruined the artistic integrity of the artifact.

Although the restorative activity caused minor damage to the statue, it had the positive effect of preventing additional ruination.