Written by By Staff Writer
A 500-year-old fire is still burning at the site of the Kangbashi Village, one of the oldest standing monuments in Iran. The fire was reported to have been accidentally caused by a coal cigarette and is reportedly about 20 feet high.
The fire has been burning for 4,000 years and is being monitored by Iran’s Supreme Leaders Commission.
The ancient religious structure was built between 1st and 2nd century A.D. and has been the scene of ancient battles, large gatherings and court political disputes.
The commission’s spokesman, Hossein Sedaqi, has told Iranian media the burning of the Kangbashi symbolizes the power of the nation to overcome issues and the destruction of tradition, contrasting it with last year’s photo of him smoking a cigarette while leading a military parade.
Hot and windy conditions at the site have helped the fire to expand to three sides of the monolith.
The fire is visible from Mount Shar-e-Fars near Tehran.
A location plaque describes the monument as a “moral museum,” noting it was intended to preserve evidence of the different customs that prevailed at the time.
The monument, which sits in the foothills of Mount Shar-e-Fars near Tehran, is roughly the size of three football fields. It has an upright top and four supported columns on a diadem.
This is the first time such a fire has erupted at the monument, which according to CNN affiliate Mehr, dates back to the time of the “Sorake” Zoroastrian kingdom, which lasted from 1st to 2nd century B.C.