Festival showing nomadic rituals, crafts and arts

Tribespeople from every corner of Iran are showing their nomadic rituals, lifestyle, cuisine, crafts and arts in a four-day festival, which opened to the public in Gonbad-e Kavus, northern Golestan province, on November 17, 2019.

New archaeological season begins in Burnt City

TEHRAN – A group of Iranian archaeologists and fellow international experts have recently commenced a fresh round of exploration in the Burnt City, a UNESCO-registered site in southeastern Iran.

Prehistoric site discovered in Iran dating to 3rd millennium BC

TEHRAN – A prehistoric site, estimated to date from the third millennium BC, has recently been discovered in Minab, southern Iran.

Fossilized tooth is first evidence Neanderthals once lived in Iran

TEHRAN – A fossilized tooth found decades ago in the Zagros Mountains, western Iran, proves that Neanderthals once lived in the country, ARCHAEOLOGY magazine, a publication of the Archaeological Institute of America, has said, citing it as one of the ten most important archaeological findings in 2019.

Foreign visits to millennia-old Hasanlu on the rise

TEHRAN – Foreign visits to Hasanlu, a millennia-old archaeological site in northwest Iran, has been on the rise over the past couple of months, director of the historical site has said.

By David Robie

10 reasons why tourists must visit Iran

I stumbled on the scene by chance. Our host family in Iran’s second city Mashhad, a modern and beautiful metropolis that would comfortably fit in New Zealand’s entire population, was taking us on a drive to the outskirts to visit the tomb of the famous poet and chronicler Abul-Qasem Ferdowsi.

Remnants of Safavid-era bathhouse discovered

TEHRAN – Archaeologists have discovered remnants of a Safavid-era (1501–1736) public bathhouse within a former royal ensemble in the Iranian city of Qazvin.

Millennia-old coins recovered in northern Iran

TEHRAN – Iranian police have recently confiscated some 1,000 coins, reportedly dating back to three thousand years ago, from two antique smugglers in Miandorud, northern Mazandaran province.

Swiss people know Iran for its ancient civilization: ambassador

TEHRAN - Swiss ambassador to Tehran has said people of his country know Iran for its ancient civilization and the significant role that the country plays in the Middle East.

National museum has new look at history of Tehran

TEHRAN – An exhibit at the National Museum of Iran offers its visitors Tehran’s thousands of years of history by showcasing relics excavated from southern and northern neighborhoods of the city.

Recently returned Achaemenid-era clay tablets on display

TEHRAN – Hundreds of Achaemenid-era (550-330 BC) clay tablets took pride of place in an exhibit which opened to the public at the National Museum of Iran on Wednesday.

Sotheby’s to put arts of the Islamic world on auction

TEHRAN – Sotheby's, a British-founded American multinational corporation headquartered in New York City, has announced highlights of arts from the Islamic world, which will go under hammer in its upcoming auction.

Police recovers historical relics from antique dealer in Tehran

TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have confiscated tens of objects which are estimated to date from the 1st and 2nd millennium BC from an antique dealer in downtown Tehran.

Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned home after 84 years

TEHRAN – A total of 1,783 Achaemenid-era clay tablets, which were on loan from Iran to the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago since 1935, have been returned home.

By Marjohn Sheikhi

‘Passion, penchant for uncertainty’ are what you need for archaeology, says Prof. Barbara Kaim

TEHRAN - Renowned Polish Professor Barbara Kaim, an archaeologist with a focus on Iran and Central Asia, says you need passion and a penchant for uncertainty to venture into the realm of archaeology.

Iran among countries with Neanderthal discoveries

TEHRAN - A new find, recently published in the Journal of Human Evolution, suggests that Neanderthals were roaming at the Iranian Zagros Mountain sometimes between 40 to 70 thousand years ago.

By Afshin Majlesi

The ancient art of making ships in southern Iran

TEHRAN – Maritime trade, shipping and shipbuilding have long been practiced in Iran. There have been many small or big shipyards across the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf.

Flood-hit ancient bridge being restored

TEHRAN – A new round of restoration work has been commenced on the historical Kashkan Bridge, which suffered damage from a heavy flooding in March.

Chinese museum to showcase celadons from Iran, other countries

TEHRAN – On Saturday, a collection of centuries-old celadons, on loan from the National Museum of Iran, reached Beijing’s Palace Museum, which is to host a vast exhibit of such potteries from several countries.

Parthian, Safavid-era coins seized in northeast Iran

TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have recently confiscated four historical coins from two smugglers in Bojnourd, the capital of North Khorasan province.

Stepping into Fahraj mosque, one of the oldest Islamic structures in Iran

TEHRAN –Standing tall in Iran’s Yazd province, Jameh Mosque of Fahraj, which dates over 1400 years, is of great significance as one of the oldest extant mosques in Iran. It represents an important evolutionary stage in mosque construction from very modest materials to wooden roofs on arcades, finally to full scale vaulting with permanent materials.

Parthian-era jars unexpectedly found in western Iran

TEHRAN – Workers have accidentally discovered two Parthian-era jars in a western Iranian village while digging to lay natural gas pipes. 

Millennia-old plant fossils discovered in northwest Iran

TEHRAN – Millennia-old fossil remains of various plants have recently been discovered in Meshkin Shahr county, northwest Iran, CHTN reported on Wednesday.

Construction workers come across prehistorical cultural evidence in western Iran

TEHRAN – Scraps of cultural evidence dating from 5th and 4th millennium BC have accidentally been discovered during a construction project in the western city of Azna, Lorestan province.

Iranian police recover haul of ancient relics

TEHRAN – Iranian authorities have recently seized a haul of historical relics from a smuggler who was illegally embedded them in his car in Markazi province.

25 million visited Iran’s heritage museums in calendar year

TEHRAN – Some 25 million people paid visits to heritage museums and historical sites across Iran during the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20).

Iran’s cave offers new glimpses of Paleolithic life

TEHRAN – In one of significant archaeological finds of Iran’s Lorestan province, Kaldar cave has yielded further evidence for its Paleolithic residents.

Oriental Institute ready for delivery of ancient Persian artifacts

TEHRAN – The University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute has recently signaled its readiness to deliver the first batch of ancient Persian clay tablets to Iran, a senior cultural heritage official has said.

Old gravestone found in northeast Iran

TEHRAN – An old gravestone that bears some inscriptions has recently been found in a flood-hit rural district in Chenaran country, Khorasan Razavi province, northeast Iran.

220 historical sites, objects found in Larestan

TEHRAN – Remnants of some 220 historical sites and relics have been found during a recent archaeological survey conducted in Larestan and its surroundings across the southern Fars province.