Ahmadinejad unveils exhibit of Jiroft artifacts at Tehran museum

TEHRAN,Nov.14 (MNA) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled the recovered Jiroft artifacts, which were delivered to the Iranian embassy in London early November, at the National Museum of Iran (NMI) on Sunday. The 5000-year-old collection, which consists of two jars, five cups, six vases, a bowl, a vessel and three weights, were delivered to Iranian officials in Tehran in the early hours of Friday November 4. Ahmadinejad regarded the event a significant case since Iran was able to prove its legitimacy legally. In 2005, 18 artifacts smuggled from the ancient site of Jiroft in southern Iran were to be sold at London’s Barakat Gallery. Iran sued the gallery and the artifacts were finally recovered after a seven-year legal marathon. He also proposed that the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) officials establish a team to recover all smuggled artifacts and return them to the country. "If we can prove legally that the artifacts belong to Iran, we can bring them back home and if in some cases we can not, we have to try to register the name of Iran beside the artifacts being kept at the world museums," he added. Ahmadinejad stressed that the Iranian nation is a cultural and logical nation and that a cultural nation will never go after weapons. He also said that the reason why the West is against Iran is that Iranian nation enjoys a rich history and civilization. "It is culture and civilization which make the future," he said, adding that some may disagree with the connection between history and civilization, believing that ancient history does not play a role in making the future. He also emphasized the importance of protecting cultural heritage and called the destruction of cultural heritage a form of suicide.