Iran: Environmentalists Campaign to Save Isfahan · Global Voices
Fred Petrossian

Iranian environmentalists are using online media tools to save different cultural monuments such as  The Si-o-se Pol or “33 Pol”  (bridge of 33 arches) an architectural masterpiece in the heart of the Iranian historic city of Isfahan (Esfahan). A battle is ongoing between authorities that want to develop a new metro project and concerned citizens from across Iran who fear the damage it might cause.
Shahin Sepanta writes [fa] an open letter to the international community to save Isfahan, a former capital of Persian empire, from destruction. The blogger writes that the the city council of Isfahan has decided, without sufficient preparatory studies, to construct a metro tunnel in the vicinity of this unique complex of architectural masterpieces.
People of Isfahan, as well as many non-governmental organizations have protested against such an unwise project and have demanded that authorities to dig the tunnel farther from the historical parts of the city, and employ precautionary actions to reduce the traffic burden. Nevertheless, the city council has continued its operation without paying any attention to such protests.
Bearing in mind that Isfahan, as a cosmopolitan entity, comprises of many historical and valuable sites that belong not only to the Iranian people but are considered as the common heritage of the mankind, it is the right of everyone in the world to enjoy its marvels and, at the same time, take the responsibility of guarding it against all destructive threats.
In GreenNews we read  [fa] that the increasing number or protest against the metro project has forced authorities to declare controversy statements about the development of project. GreenNews has published photos (like the one above) showing construction machines in close proximity of '33 Pol (bridge of 33 arches).
There is also a petition is launched to stop metro project that got around 1000 signatures so far.