TEHRAN--According to an official in charge of the dossier for the UNESCO registration of Masuleh Cultural Landscape, two metal oil lamps from the Seljuk (11th–12th centuries) and Ilkhanid (13th–14th centuries) periods, discovered in Masuleh, have been transferred to the National Museum of Iran for permanent display.

Dr. Mostafa Pourali stated that these artifacts were discovered in 2012 during archaeological test excavations to determine the boundaries of historical sites. The excavation, led by Behrouz Hamrang, took place on the northern part of the ancient city of Masuleh, near the Old Masuleh archaeological site, an official with the National Museum told the Tehran Times on Monday.

The oil lamps feature distinctive decorative elements, including symbolic bird motifs, reflecting the region's rich metalworking heritage. Experts confirm that these pieces’ date back to the Seljuk and Ilkhanid eras and bear close typological similarities to contemporaneous examples from Khorasan and Herat in eastern Iran.

Pourali emphasized that this discovery highlights Masuleh's artistic and cultural connections with other major centers of Islamic metalwork during that period. Given their significance and with the approval of Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, the artifacts have been relocated to the National Museum of Iran’s Archaeology and Islamic Art section. They will soon be displayed in the Seljuk and Ilkhanid galleries.

He further noted that Masuleh was a prominent region during the Seljuk and Ilkhanid periods. Archaeological surveys in the area have uncovered numerous sites from these eras, some linked to iron mining, smelting furnaces, and metalworking, while others were seasonal settlements for pastoralists.

Additionally, joint Iranian-Chinese excavations at the Khan Baji Sera site near Masuleh revealed late Seljuk-era metalworking furnaces, showing strong Central Asian influences. Pourali concluded that these findings underscore Masuleh's historical importance and its extensive ties with eastern Iran.

AM