TEHRAN -- The Iranian Majlis Library has recently purchased several documents including one revealing the authenticity of the name “Persian Gulf.”

The collection contains two sections including historical maps and photographic negatives and is assumed to be among the most authentic documents known, said head of the document department of the library Ali Tatari.
He added that the collection was purchased from an Iranian collector residing in Britain. The name of the collector was not disclosed.
Tatari said that the collection is comprised of eight historical maps, the most important of which is the map of the Persian Gulf.
“The map dates back to the year 1908 and was published in England. This document surely proves the authenticity of the name of Persian Gulf,” he remarked.
“The second map is a sketch by the East India Company done in 1889 featuring a map of the Sistan Baluchestan region. The map was made during the time that Britain dominated the region,” Tatari explained.
He said that the third map depicts the border between Iran and Russia, adding that the map is hand drawn, and the fourth map portrays a world map which was printed in 1892.
The other four maps belong to the lands owned by Abdol-Hossein Mirza Farmanfarma (1859-1939). Farmanfarma was the patriarch of one of the most prominent Qajar families, and was one of the most influential politicians of his time in Iran.
Tatari also continued explaining that a collection of 41 photographic negatives is also included in the collection, adding “Some of the negatives belong to the Qajar era, being among the first color negatives in the world.”
He concluded saying that purchasing documents is one of the Majlis Library’s policies to help prevent historical documents from leaving the country.