TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Ezzatollah Zarghami has taken part in the 6th Forum of Ancient Civilizations inaugurated in Baghdad on Sunday.

Asked whether the forum will be able to be a ground for boosting Iran-Egypt cultural ties, the official termed Egypt as an ancient and valuable civilization, Mehr reported.

The minister expressed hope that constructive talks, as the participating states deserve, would be witnessed at the event.

Representatives from Greece, China, Egypt, Italy, Peru, Bolivia, Armenia, and Mexico are among the participants.

According to organizers, dialogues and cultures are exchanged between the member states of the forum, at the governmental level, to capitalize on the importance of civilized and cultural communication for the economic and social development of the participating countries.

The Ancient Civilizations Forum seeks to enhance international exchanges; improve the multilateral cooperation mechanism; protect the diversity of cultural heritage and world culture; uphold the legacy and progress of civilization and inspire the vitality of the wisdom of ancient civilization to provide a solution to solve the problem in the current era.

The term "civilization" basically refers to the stage of development at which people can coexist peacefully in groups. The term "ancient civilization" specifically refers to the earliest settled and secure communities that served as the nucleus for later states, nations, and empires.

The development of writing around 3100 BC marked the beginning of the arc of ancient history, which lasted for more than 35 centuries. Writing has made it possible to preserve a historical record, even though mankind existed before the written word.

Archaeologists' work is the main source of information about ancient peoples, in addition to written accounts and carved inscriptions. In the last 200 years, the majority of significant archaeological finds have been made.

AM