TEHRAN - A special exhibition featuring ancient relics excavated from the historic port city of Siraf has opened at the Persian Gulf Region Museum in Bushehr.

Organized in collaboration with the National Museum of Iran, the exhibition coincides with the celebrations of the Ten-Day Dawn (Dahe-ye Fajr), marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

According to Nasrollah Ebrahimi, the deputy director of cultural heritage in Bushehr province, the exhibition presents a collection of artifacts unearthed during archaeological excavations led by British archaeologist David Whitehouse more than five decades ago. This marks the first time in 52 years that these relics are being publicly displayed in Iran.

Siraf, an ancient port on the Persian Gulf, was a major trade hub during the pre-Islamic and early Islamic era, linking Iran to distant regions such as China, India, and East Africa. According to organizers, the artifacts on display provide valuable insights into the city’s rich maritime history, trade networks, and cultural exchanges.

Siraf was Iran’s most important port from the Sassanid period to the 4th century AH. It bears plentiful evidence of Persian mastership and genius in seafaring, international relations, and interaction with other near and far cultures and civilizations.

Between 1966 and 1973, the British Institute of Persian Studies conducted seven seasons of excavation and survey at Siraf, which was a major city on the Iranian shore of the Persian Gulf that played a leading role in the network of maritime trade that supplied Western Asia with the products of India, the Far East and Eastern Africa between 800 CE and 1050.

The historical and architectural monuments of Bushehr include Islamic buildings like mosques and praying centers, mansions, old towers, castles, as well as gardens. Moreover, Bushehr embraces significant monuments from the Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras.

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