Iranian museum artifacts to be registered in Italy for first time
In an unprecedented move, the fundamental project of registering museum artifacts from Iran's cultural heritage in Italy has commenced, facilitated by collaboration with the International Society for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (ISMEO), announced the cultural attaché of Iran.
Mohammad-Taqi Amini highlighted the 70-year history of cooperation between Iran and Italy in archaeology studies, where Iranian and Italian archaeologists have conducted numerous successful excavation and research missions at various archaeological sites across Iran, unveiling the nation's ancient civilization to the world, IRNA reported.
Amini emphasized the significant role of ancient Iranian civilization in shaping human history, noting that new discoveries not only astonish researchers but also challenge existing hypotheses.
Shedding light on the extensive efforts and initiatives of the Iranian Embassy in Rome, he highlighted the profound historical ties between the great civilizations of ancient Iran and Rome.
This groundbreaking endeavor, orchestrated by the Iranian Embassy, marks the first-ever collaboration with the reputable international organization ISMEO to catalogue these artifacts in Italy. The initiative holds great promise for scholars, researchers, and archaeology students at the global level, providing invaluable assistance in their
endeavors.
Amini revealed that Italy safeguards thousands of Iranian museum artifacts from both pre-Islamic and post-Islamic periods. However, the listing process necessitates financial investment and field research. Notably, the former National Museum of Oriental Art alone has registered over 550 artifacts from the pre-Islamic era, and 700 artifacts from the post-Islamic era. This figure can be supplemented with additional artifacts found in other museums, including the Vatican Museum and private collections.