TEHRAN — Officials from the National Museum of Iran and the National Museum of Tajikistan have agreed on plans to expand cultural cooperation and organize joint exhibitions during a meeting in Tehran on Wednesday.

The talks were held at the National Museum of Iran between its director, Jebrael Nokandeh, and a Tajik delegation led by Alisher Zarifi, First Deputy Director of the National Museum of Tajikistan, accompanied by Alisher Ebrahimov, head of the museum’s international affairs department, and Bahador Nadir, cultural attaché of the Tajik embassy in Tehran.

The meeting focused on strengthening institutional ties and expanding collaboration between the two countries’ museums, particularly in areas reflecting their shared cultural and historical heritage.
Nokandeh referred to existing cooperation between the two institutions and a previously signed memorandum of understanding, stressing the importance of developing joint programs and professional exchanges.

Zarifi conveyed a message from Zafarsho Safo Ibrahimzoda, director general of the National Museum of Tajikistan, emphasizing the importance of expanding cultural relations between the two countries. He said the Tajik museum had recently held exhibitions in countries including China, France, Egypt and Azerbaijan, and expressed readiness to organize joint exhibitions with Iran in the near future.

Zarifi also highlighted the interest of Tajik experts in benefiting from Iran’s experience in conservation and restoration, particularly in the field of manuscript preservation.

The meeting was attended by Fereidoun Biglari, deputy for cultural affairs at the National Museum of Iran; Omid Kamalvand, deputy for executive affairs; Masoumeh Ahmadi, head of the museum’s international and legal department; Karam Mirzaei, director of the Museum of Archaeology and Arts of the Islamic Era; and a representative from the legal and international affairs office of Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Nokandeh presented several volumes of the National Museum of Iran’s publications to the visiting delegation. The Tajik officials later toured the “Narrators of Ancient Iran” exhibition, guided by Biglari and Mirzaei.
Chock-full of priceless objects showcasing the juicy history of the nation, the National Museum showcases ceramics, pottery, stone figures, and carvings, mostly taken from excavations at Persepolis, Ismail Abad (near Qazvin), Shush, Rey, and Turang Tappeh to name a few.

Inside, among the finds from Shush, there’s a stone capital of a winged lion, some delightful pitchers and vessels in animal shapes, and colorful glazed bricks decorated with double-winged mythical creatures. A copy of the diorite stele detailing the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, found at Shush in 1901, is also displayed – the original being in Paris.

AM