Iran to display Cyrus the Great Cylinder

[Afshin]

Tue, 17 Jun 2008

The Cyrus Cylinder

PTV - Iran's National Museum is slated to exhibit 'Cyrus the Great Cylinder', which is currently housed in the British Museum in London.

During a meeting at Iran's National Museum, the director of the British Museum said they were ready to display the cylinder in Iran.

"The British Museum is ready to display the Cyrus Cylinder in Iran after 130 years," said Neil MacGregor.

Director of Iran's National Museum, Mohammad Reza Mehrandish said the museum and Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization would do their best to exhibit the unique artifact in its country of origin.

Cyrus the Great's cylinder is a clay artifact, bearing a declaration issued by the Persian king Cyrus II in Babylonian cuneiform.

Described as the world's first charter of human rights, the cylinder was discovered in 1879 by the Assyro-British archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam.

[BrankoWasTheBEST]

"The British Museum is ready to display the Cyrus Cylinder in Iran after 130 years," said Neil MacGregor.

Director of Iran's National Museum, Mohammad Reza Mehrandish said the museum and Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization would do their best to exhibit the unique artifact in its country of origin.

Although it pains me to say this, I totally disagree with the highlighted statements and believe it is another attempt at misleading propaganda.

The cylinder was made and deposited in Ninveh, Babylon, currently in Iraq. Its author was a Persian King and the city was part of Persian Empire, but as far as Iran is concerned, it was NEVER in Iran and was NEVER taken out of Iran for it to come back. It was never stolen from Iran/Persia. Its an Iraqi artefact found in Iraq and belongs to the people of Iraq, but with Persian history and influence and integral to Persian culture and heritage. It is a source of pride and a beacon of Persian tolerance before the catastrophy of Arab enslavement.

[007]

2500 years ago there was no Iraq, it was Persia, the cylinder dates back to over 2000 years ago, it was Persia, it belongs to Persia which today is Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain.... were created by british imperialism for their own interest

[BrankoWasTheBEST]

James Bond Jaan,

I know 2500 years ago there was no Iraq but as history goes when a nation is built and flourishes, the artifacts that were made 2500 years ago belong to them. If that is the case half of all historical artefacts around the world would be disputed and many Arab nations could argue that loads of artifacts etc were actually theirs and that Iran or other countries should return them.

Once we start with artifacts we then progress to other tangible items such as the actual physical earth etc and then what? Should we claim all the items from Afghanistan, India, Georgia, Turkey etc?

The clay cylinder is of Persian culture but was made and buried in what is present day Iraq. It was made in and for the people of Babylon which is in present day Iraq. Now that does not diminish the Persian heritage, it just means that the people of that city for whom the cylinder was made have a right to it and is theirs.