TEHRAN -- 7,000 years of Persian civilization and history is currently on display in the Glory of Persia exhibition at the National Museum of Iran.

A total of 135 unique historical artifacts are currently on display during the exhibition which will run until April 14.
The exhibit contains a selection of relics which were previously kept in other countries including Austria, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Spain, France, China and Turkey.
“It is our duty to display and preserve handicrafts made by our ancestors which are sometimes overlooked,” Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) Director Hamid Baqaii mentioned during the opening ceremony of the showcase.
He called Iran a country with a rich heritage of culture and civilization saying that if NMI cuts its connections with other countries’ museums they will loose.
Most of the artifacts have been provided by the National Museum of Iran and the Reza Abbasi, Azerbaijan, and Persepolis museums.
The history of Persian stretches back over 7,000 years, including prehistoric times. The characteristic urban civilization that flourished shows another side of same coin as the Mesopotamian civilization.
The Achaemenid dynasty arose in the 6th century BC and flourished as the oldest imperial civilization, extending its territory from Egypt in the west to the Indian subcontinent in the east at its peak.
Architecture, arts and crafts blossomed and attained the highest levels of development. The most noteworthy of which is the marvelous metalworking technology employed to produce artwork from gold.
The Sassanid dynasty prospered from the 3rd century AD and become the base of cultural exchange on the Eurasian Continent, connecting the Mediterranean and Eastern Asian regions.
Photo: People visit the Glory of Persia exhibition, which opened at the National Museum of Iran on March 16, 2010. (ISNA/Hamid Forutan)