TEHRAN—The National Museum of Iran on Saturday played host to tens of international media directors and journalists who were in Tehran to attend the 18th Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies General Assembly.

Media experts from Japan, Bulgaria, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and the Philippines were among visitors to the major museum which is home to Iran-Bastan Museum (dedicated to ancient Iran), the Museum of Islamic Archaeology and Art of Iran, as well as eight research departments, a conservation department, library and the archives.

Chock-full of priceless objects showcasing the juicy history of the nation, the National Museum showcases ceramics, pottery, stone figures, and carvings, mostly taken from excavations at Persepolis, Ismail Abad (near Qazvin), Shush, Rey, and Turang Tappeh to name a few.

Inside, among the finds from Shush, there’s a stone capital of a winged lion, some delightful pitchers and vessels in animal shapes, and colorful glazed bricks decorated with double-winged mythical creatures. A copy of the diorite stele detailing the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, found at Shush in 1901, is also displayed–the original being in Paris.

AM