Parthian citadel Narin to be turned into museum

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Date: 1 May 2017

Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization is set to turn Narin citadel into a site museum, after a restoration project is fully implemented, CHTN reported on 27 April 2017.

Known as Narin Qa’leh, the mud-brick fortress dates back to the Parthian era (247 BC–224 CE). It stands in the city of Nain, Isfahan province.

Nain is one of the oldest continuously settlements in central Iran, located on the junction of the desert road to Tabas and Mashhad.

The city has been an important crossroad on converging trade routes for thousands of years. It is well regarded for its handicrafts as well.

Source: Tehran Times

Discovery of Human Settlement in Fars Province dating back to 35,000 years ago

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Date: 29 April 2017

The oldest works identified in archeological explorations in the Rustaq district of Neyriz, Fars Province, puts the presence of human beings in that area at least 35 thousand years ago.

According to the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism RICHT Public Relations Office, Head of the exploration team Hassan Moradi has recently said that the first season of archeological explorations has been conducted in that area in southern Iran with an aim of preparing archeological map and finding the position of the remaining works in the region.

Although over 85 years have passed since the start of archaeological activities in Fars province, however the city of Neyriz as the communication corridor between Fars and Kerman provinces, is still unknown and there is not much information available of its remaining works, he added.

Moradi noted that in this season of explorations a total of 110 works have been identified which are being dated from the Middle Paleolithic Age to the late Islamic period.

The works included hill and site, rocky ridges graves, ponds (water storage), aqueducts, waterway, pools, home, garden house, caravanserais, tombs, fortresses, structures, mills, mosques, bathrooms and old trees, he said.

According to the archaeologist, most of the works which have been identified in the site of exploration are related to the Islamic period that represents the importance of Neyriz plain in that period.

Source: Iran Daily

Louvre museum to hold exhibition in Tehran

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Date: 29 April 2017

Iran’s Director of Museums and Historical Properties Office said that for the first time an exhibition of some items from Louvre Museum will be held in Tehran.

“The exhibition is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the deputy of Iran’s Cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism Organization (Iranian National Museum) and Louvre Museum signed in March,’ Mohammad Reza Kargar added.

According to him, in the exhibition valuable items from Louvre Museum related to Egyptian and Ancient Greek civilizations as well as some artworks from France will be displayed for four months in National Museum of Iran.

Kargar explained that the Louvre Museum items have been given to Iran for the firt time, which is an indication of the trust between Iran and France as well as the promotion of the two countries’ museums.

He also described the event as indicating Iran’s security and stability, in addition to a contribution to Iranian people’s knowledge and awareness of various civilizations.

Other countries such as Armenia and South Korea and Mexico will also hold exhibitions in Iran this year.

Source: IRNA

Pottery kiln discovered in western Iran

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Date: 29 April 2017

Valuable findings, including remains of a pottery kiln dating back to the Seljuk and Ilkhanid eras were identified in Famenin, Hamedan province.

The Public Relations Office of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT) quoted head of the first season of the salvage explorations in Tappeh Haji Khan (Haji Khan Hill) Esmaeil Hemmati Azandaryani as saying on Sunday that although finding out the exact date of the pottery kiln requires detailed laboratory testing, but due to the findings of the clay works it seems that the kiln belongs to the late Seljuk and the Ilkhanate eras.

Almost all of the basic structure of the kiln has been fully preserved and made readable in the course of the exploration, he added.

He noted that the approximate shape of the kiln is oval and the dimension of its bigger diameter is about 2.5 meters and its smaller diameter about 1.5 meters.

Source: IRNA

Cultural remains of Iron Age era discovered in W. Azarbaijan

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Date: 23 April 2017

Cultural remains of the Iron Age era as well as a number of burials belonging to a cemetery in the Islamic era were discovered in Tappeh Silveh 2 in West Azarbaijan.

The Public Relations Office of the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism (RICHT) quoted head of the exploration team Kiumars Haji Mohammadi as saying graves of the cemetery have been identified at three levels that represent the sequence of usage of the Tappeh (hill) as a cemetery in different Islamic centuries.

He pointed to identification of the remains of cultural objects from the historical and Iron Age eras in the cuttings created by unauthorized excavators, saying that in the southern slope of the hill a trench was made for the detailed study of the layer.

The archaeologist said the density of the cemetery in the Islamic era at the surface of the hill has slowed down the trend of the exploration and therefore efforts are being made to make the study of the remains of other cultural eras possible.

On the basis of the hypothesis raised about Tappeh Silveh 2 (Sarbaz) and with regard to the surface evidence, these settlement remains have been in the pre-history era (Copper and Stone, Bronze and Iron Age eras).

Source: IRNA

National Museum of Iran dedicates exhibit to ancient Tehran

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Date: 17 April 2017

An exhibition of historical relics and archaeological treasures of Tehran Province opened its doors to the public at the National Museum of Iran on Saturday 16 April 2017.

The four-day exhibit embraces objects that date from the Neolithic era onwards, CHTN reported.

The objects have been unearthed in the cities of Rey, Varamin, Damavand and Tehran neighborhoods such as Darroos and Qeytarieh, the report added.

Source: Tehran Times

In the Memory of Tehran’s Sepahsalar Mosque and School

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Date: 18 April 2017

On the occasion of the anniversary of the construction day of Tehran’s Sepahsalar Mosque and School, Seyed Alireza Qahari, the head of the Society of celebrated figures of Iranian Architecture has written a note accompanying a photo of this complex.

From a purely architectural point of view, Sepahsalar Mosque and School in Tehran’s Baharestan Square is one of the last majestic Qajar buildings which is considered as the continuation of the Safavid Architecture.

During the Qajar era, as the result of the encounter of Iranian educated people with the European culture, not only the impact of the latter on all aspects of the Iranian society gradually manifested itself, but the Turkish Mosque architecture also became a source of inspiration.

Mirza Hossein Khan Sepah-Salar, Naser-aldin Shah’s Grand Vizier had lived in Istanbul as the Minster of Foreign Affairs for several years, but what we know is that the Iranian Architecture has always been the pioneer. Inspired by Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia Mosque, Esfahan’s Chahar-Baq School and Jameh Mosque, Sepahsalar School has been built in a way whose counterpart can only be found only in E(I)sfahan’s Seyed Mosque, Semnan’s Sultani Mosque and Kashan’s Aqa Bozorg Mosque. In all of these mosques, chambers (hojreh-s) and Eyvans (porticos) are in two floors. The main designer of Sepahsalar school, Mohammad Khan Momtahan-ol-doleh Shaqaqi had studied architecture abroad and is among the last contemporary traditionalist architects. His design was carried out by Haj Abol-Hassan from Qom and Jafar Khan Memarbashi from Kashan.

The construction of the complex began on April 8 1879 by Mirza Hassan Khan. However as he died two years later in Mash-had, his brother Yahya Khan Moshir-ol-doleh continued the construction work which took 5 years. In 1934, when the French architect, Maxime Siroux founded the College of Fine Arts، he also designed a library for the school where the first Academy of Persian Language and Literature led by Mohammad Ali Forouqi took shape.

In 1963, Hossein Lorzadeh introduced some changes to the mosque’s winter shabestan (part of a mosque designed for sleeping or nocturnal praying) and in 1996, the architect Saidi repaired its main dome.

The complex is made largely of bricks and decorated by the characteristic Iranian architectural features such as Moqarnas (stucco relief), tile-work, Yazdi-bandi (arch decoration), Kaseh-bandi (bowl-decoration) derived by the Safavid architecture, because tile-works are not found in Turkish mosques. The mosque’s courtyard has four flowerbeds and a large pool in the middle with the famous Mehran qanat crossing underneath it before. Sepahsalar is one of the largest mosques with four Eyvans and surely one of the last ones. Its majestic dome, modelled after Turkish mosques and its eight minarets are what make this complex so unique.

Source: Farairan

Samen Underground City suggests clues to life in ancient Mithraic Iran

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Date: 16 April 2017

Situated in the southwestern city of Malaya, the history of Samen underground city, accidentally discovered in 2005, goes back to pre-Parthian Empire, when Mithraism was widespread in Ancient Iran.

The site 3 hectares in area, embraces over 50 chambers and catacombs of various dimensions, most of which interconnected by corridors and thresholds, and punctuated with human skeletal remains that are rich sources for revealing the lifestyle, food habits, and diseases in ancient Iran.

According to the journal Bioarchaeology of the Near East, the human remains date back to the time of Mehrdad I (160-130 BC) of the Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 CE) that was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran and Iraq. Most probably it was first built to perform special Mithraic religious ceremonies. Mithraism or the worship of Mithra or Mehr, the god of Sun was one the most ancient Iranian gods. According to the available evidences, the followers of this cult conducted their ceremonies in secret underground altars called Mehrabeh. Some of the channels in this space were used to bury religious victims and most probably high religious leaders. This is the first period of its use. Then comes the second Parthian period, which can be called its heyday. In the third period where its decline begins, particularly after the Arab invasion of Iran and Nahvand war it was used as a shelter and for the burial of special figures until WWI and even the Qajar dynasty.

Situated under a modern urban area of the same name, the site was recovered accidentally during some development activities in 2005 and explored further during four seasons of archaeological investigations in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011.

A combination of photos by photographer Abdollah Heidary from IRNA shows the Samen Underground City, an archaeological site near Malayer in western Iran on April 10, 2017.

Source: Farairan from various sources

Prehistoric Iran, Persian Garden under spotlight at German museum

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Date: 16 April 2017

Separate exhibitions on Iran’s prehistoric cultural heritage and Persian Garden open to the public today at the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany — Kunst und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland – in Bonn.

Organized under the auspices of National Museum of Iran and the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization, the exhibits titled “Iran, Ancient Culture between Water and Desert” and “The Persian Garden, the Invention of Paradise”, will be running through Aug. 20 and Oct. 15 respectively.

Iran has loaned some 450 artifacts to the German museum. The objects date back to early Iranian civilizations that flourished between the seventh millennium BC and the rise of the mighty Achaemenid Empire in the first millennium BC.

“The event aims to introduce parts of Iran’s history and civilization to the world, providing a great opportunity for people who are not able to travel long distances to experience the country’s ancient culture from close,” Mohammadreza Kargar, the director of Iran’s Museums and Historical Properties Department, said on Sunday.

The German government has assumed the responsibility of any kind of damage to the museum objects, IRNA quoted Kargar as saying on April 9.

Speaking to reporters, Kargar said that the government permits for the exhibit have been acquired from relevant entities, including the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, the Customs Administrations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Presidential Office as well.

According to the German museum, “Iran, Ancient Culture between Water and Desert” opens up a window onto a country that has been inaccessible for decades and whose imagery is little known in Europe. “The treasures from the graves of two Elamite princesses and the spectacular finds from the burial grounds of Jiroft are shown outside Iran for the first time.”

Regarding to “The Persian Garden, the Invention of Paradise”, the museum says “Light and shade, heat and cool freshness, the soothing burbling of water, the heady scent of flowers – a [Persian] garden is a manmade paradise. And indeed, the very word ‘paradise’ has come down to us from ancient Persia. Do come in and enjoy the paradisiac atmosphere of the Persian Garden, an oasis for the mind and the senses!”

The genuine concept of the Persian Garden that is deeply rooted in time interweaves natural elements with manmade components to embody an idea of creating a paradise on Earth by the means of artistic, philosophical, figurative, and religious notions. Several gardens in Iran have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Source: Tehran Times

Would Time No Longer Stand Still in Golestan Palace?

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Date: 9 April 2017

The clock of Shamsolemareh, the finest edifice on the eastern wing of Golestan Palace and the first high rise in Tehran, started to run after a 90-year slumber.

Shamsolemareh, literally meaning ‘edifice of sun’ is the tallest building in Golestan Palace and fuses Persian and European architecture into a five-story structure with two imposing towers and a small clock tower in the middle.

For 90 years, people walking down Nasser Khosrow Street in downtown Tehran read 6:10 when they cared to look up at the clock, Mehr News Agency reported.

The famous clock was gifted by the British Queen Victoria (1819-1901) to Nasser al Din Shah (1831-1896) of the Qajar Dynasty more than a century ago. But it ticked a bit too noisily annoying the people who, at the time, used Golestan Palace as residence and court. Eventually complaints piled up and the authorities tried to reduce the unfriendly noise only causing damage to the clock.

Thus, the damaged clock was left unattended for almost nine decades until in 2010, master clocksmith Mohammad Saatchi Hamedani, 81, was asked to come over and take care of it. He complied. But barely 10 months later the clock again stopped working, because the sate-owned Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) had no specific budget to be allocated to its maintenance.

However, according to the head of Golestan Palace Masoud Nosrati, the clock is now back to life. The ICHHTO has signed a contract for one year with Master Saatchi to keep an eye on the device.

“We’re going to renew the date of our agreement (with Saatchi) each year,” Nosrati said. “But the clock is now digitally driven, and there is no way of returning to the mechanical motor it once had.”

Clocks were among the special interests of Nasser al Din Shah. By collecting his clocks and watches, “we can showcase a valuable treasure for the public.”

The clock in Shamsolemareh is now working again, this time with no annoying noise.

Golestan Palace

Golestan Palace is the only remnant of Tehran’s historical citadel, a collection of erstwhile royal buildings that were once enclosed within large thatched walls. The citadel was built during the time of Shah Tahmasb I of the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1722). It was rebuilt in the time of Karim Khan (1705-1779) of the Zand Dynasty and was later turned into a residence and court for the Qajar rulers (1785-1925).

Source: Financial Tribune