

1150th Anniversary Of The Birth of Famous Persian Scholar


razi-picThe 1150th birth anniversary of Persian scholar, Mohammad ibn Zakariya Razi, has been registered on the list of UNESCO’s birth events to be observed in the 2016-2017 festivals.

Iran and Tajikistan had jointly recommended to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to register Razi’s anniversary which was approved on the sidelines of its 38th General Conference in Paris

Razi (866-925 AD), was a Persian polymath, physician, alchemist and chemist, philosopher and an important figure in the history of medicine. A comprehensive thinker, he made fundamental and enduring contributions to various fields of science, which he recorded in over 200 manuscripts, and is particularly remembered for numerous advances in medicine through his observations and discoveries.

Newest Photos from Lake Urmia


Farzad Arian-Lake Urmia3 Farzad Arian-Lake Urmia-4Lake Urmia, once ranked as the sixth largest saltwater lake in the world, and the largest in the Middle East in 2003, is now almost 88% dried up. Due to poor water management, aggressive agricultural policies, and careless construction of dams and bridges and the total negligence of the Environment Organization of Iran.

Destruction of Sasanid Remains


A large collection of historical heritage of Iran is on the verge of annihilation by a newly-built dam. Iranian news agencies have reported that the flooding of the “Langir Dam” in Ilam, a Kurdish city of Iran, has began. The resulting lake would drown many invaluable Sasanid remains such as a summer palace, some tribal structures, three large sites, tile-making kilns, etc.
The authorities in Cultural Heritage Organization say that the flooding has begun without their permission but some cultural activists do not believe that such a major work by the contractors could be implemented without government authorities’ consent.Ilam

Archaeologist Wins $1 Million TED Prize


sarah-parcak2Sarah Parcak, an archaeologist and a National Geographic Fellow, whois potrayed as a modern world “Indiana Jones”, won a $1 million TED Prize for 2016.



Vandalized Stone relief


sangne1According to a cultural activist in Hamedan, Iran, certain parts of a bas-relief belonging to the period of the Parthian Dynasty in ancient Iran (247 BC – 224 AD) has been chipped and fragmented by unknown people.

The scene on the bas-relief depicts a man, leaning on a cushion, holding a goblet. He is wearing Mithraism hat, belt and outfit.

It seems that unknown people have unsuccessfully tried to clear around the bas-relief with explosive material.

This ancient work was registered as a national heritage in 2014. No relevant authority has shown any reaction to this unfortunate incident.

The notable fact is that the villagers living around this site had seen this bas-relief for centuries without attempting to destroy or disfigure it, but only one year after its registration as a national artifact those who are either known as “unauthorized excavator,” or the smuggler of antiques, appear on the site with explosives and no one seems to care!