TEHRAN – A recent flood triggered the dramatic discovery of a centuries-old inscription, which was found by the locals on the riverbank in Zanjan province.

“Flooding exposed a 400-year-old inscription on the riverbank in Golabar village of Zanjan,” provincial tourism chief, Amir Arjmand, said on Wednesday.  

The stone inscription, which bears a religious vow in Kufic script, was soon transferred to a nearby historical mosque under cultural heritage experts’ supervision, the official said.

Following the discovery, a team of police forces was dispatched to the region to protect the place till experts complete their survey for finding possible antiquities, he added.  

Zanjan is one of the cities founded by Sassanid King Ardashir I (180-242 CE). The province makes a base for wider explorations with the architectural wonder of Soltaniyeh, the subterranean delights of the Katale-Khor caves, colorful mountains, and the UNESCO-registered Takht-e Soleiman ruins are nearby.

AFM