As per a memorandum of understanding signed between Iran National Museum and the art and history museum of Drents in Assen, the Netherlands, a collection of unique discoveries are to go on show at the Dutch museum.
For the event, 196 pieces, discovered at 70 historical sites in Iran, will be exhibited under the title “Iran: Cradle of Civilization” from June 18 to November 18, ISNA reported on its Persian website.
The selected items are from the Paleolithic era (thousands of years ago) up until the mid-Islamic period, made of bones, bricks, terracotta, rocks, glass, bitumen, paper, adobe, clay, and shells.
“Golden drinking cups and jewelry, bronze weapons, clay tablets with cuneiform and beautifully painted pottery allow you to follow the trail of the history of one of the oldest and most extraordinary cultures in the world,” the museum’s website says in introducing the archeological exhibition.
Victory Relief of Bisotun
An eye-catcher in the exhibit is a full-size recreation of the enormous Bisotun relief in western province of Kermanshah, on which King Darius the Great, circa 520 BC, has proclaimed his military victories in three languages Elamite, Old Persian (one of the two attested old Iranian languages) and Babylonian.
Darius says how the supreme god Ahuramazda chooses him to dethrone a usurper named Gaumâta, how he set out to quell several revolts and how he defeated his foreign enemies.
The original relief is on a 66-meter rock, about 100 meters off the ground, in Bisotun, close to the ancient caravan route from Babylon to Central Asia.
Six Iranians living and working in the Netherlands, including Team Melli player Alireza Jahanbakhsh, entrepreneur Mahnaz Abbasi will tell in short film portraits what Iranian history and culture means to them.
Other Activities
Along with the exhibition in Drents Museum, the gallery of the performing art theater “De Nieuwe Kolk”, also based in Assen, will present works by the Iranian artist Atousa Bandeh from June 19 to Nov. 8. On show will be a number of installations and large ink drawings created by Bandeh based on her memories.
Dutch journalist Thomas Erdbrink who has been based in Iran since 2002, and currently is Tehran Bureau Chief for the New York Times will go to Assen in the autumn to tell about his adventures in Iran.
On October 28 there will be a special performance by the Dutch Rembrandt Frerichs Trio and traditional Iranian singer and vocalist Mohammad Motamedi.
