TEHRAN – An exhibition displaying a large collection of photos of Persian inscriptions decorating historical monuments and ancient sites in the Caucasus opened Monday at the Lorzadeh Gallery of the Iranian Academy of Arts in Tehran.  

The photos were taken over the past few years by Iranian scholar Mortez Rezvanfar who works for the Research Institute of Cultural Heritage & Tourism, the academy announced in a press release.

“The Inscriptions in the North Caucasus and the South Caucasus, which belong to the religious monuments dating back to the Safavid period (1501–1736) and the Qajar period (1789–1925), mostly read verses of Persian poems and religious texts or give information about the construction and restoration of the monuments,” the academy wrote.

Rezvanfar took the photos for a research project named “The Common Heritage of Iran and the World with a Focus on Persian Inscriptions”.

He has traveled to China, Tanzania, Kenya, Turkey, Azerbaijan, India, Armenia and Russia at his own expense to carry out the research.

“The research began five years ago and is covering countries in Asia, Africa and Europe,” Rezvanfar said in the press release.

“From eastern China in Asia to Egypt in Africa and some countries in Europe, we find monuments that demonstrate our common history with these countries and this exhibition that is related to the inscriptions and architectural decorations in the Caucasus is part of this extensive research,” he added.

“These inscriptions, which are in Persian, are the best documents to prove the vast expanse of Iranian cultural civilization in the world,” he noted.     

A number of the inscriptions also date back to the Sassanid period (224–651).

The exhibition will run until August 11 at the academy located on Vali-e Asr Street, near Taleqani Avenue intersection.

Photo: A poster for a photo exhibition of Persian inscriptions from the Caucasus at the Lorzadeh Gallery of the Iranian Academy of Arts in Tehran.

MMS/YAW