Total:21
-
2026-07-14 16:43
By Sonia Shidrang, Assistant Professor at Shahid Beheshti University
Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley and Iran’s deep past on UNESCO World Heritage List
This week marks the first anniversary of a milestone that reshaped how the world sees Iran’s ancient past. On July 11, 2025, during the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, the Paleolithic Sites of the Khorramabad Valley were inscribed on the World Heritage List—Iran’s 29th such site, and its first ever dedicated to the Paleolithic period.
-
2026-07-11 18:14
By Syeda Farheen Naqi Moosavi
History is made in Mashad
HAFIZABAD, Pakistan - The streets of Mashad witnessed something monumental on 9 July. The holy city became the epicenter of a political earthquake that will be recorded in the annals of world history. The people did not come to observe; they came to declare. Their chants of "We will rise" did not merely echo off the walls they tore through the air, touching the sky and shaking the foundations of the global order. The world heard it, felt it, and is now struggling to absorb its meaning.
-
2026-07-10 16:32
Wrestlers of the 7th century AH: When sport became eternal in an Ilkhanid luster tile
Hidden among the treasures of the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore is a remarkable fragment of medieval Iranian art: a six-pointed, star-shaped lusterware tile produced in Kashan during the Ilkhanid period (late 13th–early 14th century CE). Against a deep cobalt-blue ground, shimmering white and golden-brown luster decoration frames a dynamic wrestling match. At the center, two men are locked in combat. One has been forced to the ground while his opponent bends over him, controlling his arm in a grappling hold rendered with striking realism.
-
2026-06-26 17:35
Genetic tests underway on remains found in Ilkhanid royal cemetery
TEHRAN - Iranian archaeologists have begun genetic analysis of human remains uncovered in newly excavated Ilkhanid-era royal tombs near the UNESCO-listed Dome of Soltaniyeh in northwestern Iran, as researchers seek to identify members of the ruling dynasty buried at the site, officials said.
-
2026-06-16 18:16
Iran plans heritage education program in schools
TEHRAN - Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts is planning to introduce a nationwide “Heritage and Museum Bell” program in schools as part of efforts to strengthen students’ awareness of the country’s cultural heritage.
-
2026-06-02 17:15
Gav Bast Mountain’s 8,000-year-old artifacts on display in National Museum
TEHRAN - Gav Bast Mountain, with its 8,000-year history of human occupation, stands as a testament to the deep archaeological significance of Iran’s southern landscapes, a fact now highlighted in a major new virtual exhibition at the National Museum of Iran.
-
2026-05-30 08:25
By Afshin Majlesi
Bajestan: A quiet treasure beyond Iran’s tourist trail
TEHRAN - Set against the plain beauty of eastern Iran’s desert landscapes, the ancient city of Bajestan remains one of the lesser-known destinations of the country, despite possessing a remarkable combination of history, architecture, and natural scenery.
-
2026-05-17 18:10
Iran president cites ancient Abarkuh cypress in message aimed at Trump
TEHRAN - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has invoked the 4,500-year-old Abarkuh cypress tree in central Iran in remarks directed at US President Donald Trump, using the ancient tree as a symbol of Iran’s historical continuity and civilization.
-
2026-02-27 15:46
Museum director commemorates Arfa’i as pioneer of Elamite, Old Babylonian studies
TEHRAN – The head of the museum at Persepolis on Thursday marked the memory of professor Abdolmajid Arfa’i, an Elamite scholar and researcher of ancient Elamite and Akkadian languages, who died on Wednesday at the age of 86 after a period of illness.
-
2026-02-18 17:10
101 Shiraz-minted coins registered on national heritage list
TEHRAN – A collection of 101 coins minted in the southern city of Shiraz has been registered on Iran’s national list of movable cultural heritage, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said.
-
2026-02-08 17:44
Preserving historical monuments is necessity in country with ancient past: restoration graduate
TEHRAN - The appropriate restoration of historical monuments is not a matter of choice but a necessity in a country where every corner contains layers of history, a young restoration specialist says.
-
2025-12-28 18:07
Folios of Amol’s history examined by cultural heritage experts
TEHRAN – The Research Institute of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has recently reviewed a number of historical documents and narratives related to the ancient city of Amol, located in Iran’s northern Mazandaran province, which was historically known as Tabarestan.
-
2025-12-27 16:31
CCTV journalist highlights Khuzestan’s cultural heritage
TEHRAN – A Chinese journalist has said Iran’s southwestern province of Khuzestan has strong appeal for international audiences, citing its rich cultural heritage and diversity.
-
2025-12-24 17:19
Parthian art and architecture linked East and West across a vast empire
TEHRAN – For almost 500 years, the Parthian Empire controlled one of the world’s most important cultural and trade routes, stretching from Central Asia to the Mediterranean.
-
2025-12-16 16:54
Iranian civilization: ancient, influential legacy in human history
TEHRAN--With a history spanning over 8,000 years, the Iranian civilization is recognized as one of the oldest and most influential civilizations in the world, playing a significant role not only in cultural and artistic fields but also in science and philosophy, Iran Press reported.
-
2025-11-25 17:50
National Museum to host conference on human living spaces
TEHRAN – The National Museum of Iran is scheduled to hold a national conference on human living spaces on Feb. 15, 2026.
-
2025-09-29 18:57
Sheikh Safi al-din Shrine: an intersection of Iranian history, mysticism, culture
TEHRAN--The UNESCO-registered Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and the Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil, northwest of Iran, were built between the beginning of the 16th century and the end of the 18th century. It is sometimes referred to as an intersection of Iranian history, mysticism, and culture.
-
2025-09-24 17:41
Archaeologists uncover early Elamite burial near Persepolis in southern Iran
TEHRAN - Archaeologists have discovered evidence of an early Elamite jar burial and traces of kiln waste at Tol-e Roubahi Kenareh, less than two km south of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Persepolis in southern Iran.
-
2025-09-23 17:25
Baba Shams hill links history, nature, and agriculture in Ilam
TEHRAN – Scattered pottery fragments, historic aqueducts, and the proximity of the Karzan River point to ancient settlements at Baba Shams hill, located on the western edge of a village of the same name, according to Habibollah Mahmoudian, a specialist in prehistoric archaeology.
-
2025-09-06 16:48
Gigantic carpet depicting scenes of Iranian history to go on show in Birjand
TEHRAN – A gigantic carpet depicting scenes from Iranian history will go on display in Birjand, the capital of South Khorasan province, according to the provincial cultural heritage authority.
-
2025-08-20 09:35
Sheila R. Canby, who shaped the study of Islamic art, dies at 76
TEHRAN - The world of Islamic art history is mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished figures, Sheila R. Canby, who passed away this week.