TEHRAN – Iran’s Mostazafan Foundation has released its first museum publication, a comprehensive book dedicated to the art collections of the Millennia of Art Museum located on Kish Island in southern Iran, the foundation’s affiliated Daffineh Museum Institute announced on Saturday.

According to the institute’s public relations office, the unveiling ceremony for the book titled “Millennia of Art” -- which contains photographs, documentation, and descriptions of every artifact displayed at the Kish museum -- was held on Wednesday with the participation of representatives from the Iranian National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM), the Kish Free Zone Organization, the Parsian Tourism Development Holding, and the Daffineh Museums Institute.

Addressing the unveiling ceremony, Hamidreza Soleimani, director of the Daffineh Museums Institute, said at the event that museums are not “cemeteries for objects” but venues of activity and education.

“In the past year, seven new museums affiliated with the Foundation have been added to the country’s museum network,” Soleimani said.

“We also established relevant academies in each of those museums in cooperation with ICOM to promote experience-sharing, as we believe museums can serve as platforms for transmitting knowledge.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Soleimani said the institute had launched its first collaborative model with the Kish Free Zone Organization, which has since been adopted by other Iranian cities. “Kish can become a starting point for artistic initiatives,” Soleimani added.

Mohammad-Hossein Pourtaghi, chief executive of Parsian Tourism Development Holding, said the publication marks the first time that museum artifacts owned by the Foundation have been released in book form.

“This book can serve as a valuable source for researchers,” Pourtaghi said.

“We hope other museums will take steps to publish similar works on their historical collections. Continued efforts like this could grow into a lasting movement.”

He said 332 artifacts are now exhibited at the Kish museum, giving visitors a chance to explore the island’s artistic heritage alongside its leisure attractions.

Ali Hasanlou, deputy director of tourism at the Kish Free Zone Organization, said the body is ready to support the creation of similar museums on the island.

“A museum of this standard can evolve into a specialized cultural center,” Hasanlou said.

Ahmad Mohit Tabatabaei, president of ICOM-Iran, noted that Kish and the ancient city of Harireh lie along the Silk Road, which explains the presence of artifacts from China, India, and other countries on that historic trade route. “Before the Persians arrived, this region shared a common cultural heritage stretching from East Africa to southern Arabia, western India, and Makran coasts -- known as the Swahili culture,” he said. “Kish is one of the few places where the tales of Sinbad come to life.”

He added that the name Millennia of Art recalls the Persian term “Hezardastan,” symbolizing the artistic essence of Iranian culture. “The museum’s architecture and collection have turned it into a valuable cultural asset,” he said.

“Millennia of Art” is now available to the public, and a digital version will soon be published on the Daffineh Museums Institute.

The Mostazafan Foundation provides a wide range of primarily social services to millions of Iranians. The term “mostazafan,” meaning “the oppressed,” is central to understanding a worldview underpinning the foundation’s mission, which frames society as a struggle between the oppressed (mostazafan) and the oppressors (mostakberan).

AM