TEHRAN - Iranian police have recovered more than 19,500 historical objects from smugglers or unauthorized diggers over the past Iranian year 1400 (ended on March 20), a senior police official in charge of protecting cultural heritage said on Sunday.

“A total of 19,542 historical relics were retrieved throughout the country, of which 8,774 were original works, while others were fakes,” ISNA quoted Hassan Mehri as saying. 

“2,025 suspects were detained in this regard. They were surrendering to the judicial system for further investigation,” the official added.

In this connection, 452 metal detectors, operated by unauthorized users, were seized as well, the official noted.

“Several exquisite and priceless relics that represent various eras of the country’s rich history, have been unearthed in various excavations in the country’s historical sites, and are mostly being kept in different museums.” 

Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest continuous major civilizations, embracing settlements dating back to 4000 BC.

The ancient land hosts some of the world’s oldest cultural monuments including bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, gardens, rich natural, rural landscapes as well as 26 UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The name of Iran, formerly known as Persia, mostly conjures up the first Persian Empire, ruled by the Achaemenids (550 – 330 BC) and sites such as Pasargadae and Persepolis. However, there are tens of prehistorical sites such as the Burnt City in Sistan-Baluchestan, Tepe Sialk in Kashan, Susa, Tchogha Zanbil in the Khuzestan province, and Ecbatana in Hamedan which predate the Achaemenid period.

From a wider point of view, Iranian history can be divided into Pre-Islamic and Islamic eras. The Medes unified Iran as a nation and empire in 625 BC. The Islamic conquest of Persia (633–656) that put an end to the mighty Sassanid Empire (224–651) was a turning point in the history of the nation.

ABU/AFM