On the occasion of anniversary of “Sacred Defense ” Week (September 22 to 29), The Book and Documentary Heritage Museum of Iran held an exhibition, “Iran and Iraq in the Common Sphere of Cultural and Historical Works”. This exhibition showcased 28 historical and artistic works on cultural commonalities of the two countries. The works have been chosen out of documents, manuscripts, lithographic works, coins, pictures, etc., which are kept in the Malek National Library and Museum.
Nahj al-Balagha manuscript scribed by Hussein bin Muhammad Husseini Shirazi, which has been scribed in Baghdad in 5th century, Alaghani written by Abulfaraj Isfahani, as the most important ancient Arab culture and literature encyclopedia and a copy of Nejat al-Ibad fi Yum al-Ma’aad with the calligraphy and seal of Sheikh Morteza Ansari were among the most important works of this collection.
Arab-Sassanid coins (21 AH), coins minted when Imam Reza (AS) used to be the crown Prince of Abbassid caliph (203 AH), and Mongol Hulagu Khan Coins which have been minted in 656 AH were other items showed in this exhibition.
(Conversation about countries and people, current situation and political narratives are in fact borderlines which makes them separated, but narration of cultural and historical collections which are based on works and signs of this issue is a glance from another window, a window full of common memories, a collection of sorrows and joys which now ties people together using these common memories. Watching Iran and Iraq in a shared frame in fact is narration of connection and close historical relations’ the story of Iran and Iraq is narrated through their common cultural and historical borders. It’s a narration of an old familiarity and common memories which had been paled by the shadow of political relations, war-mongering of aliens and unequal imposed war.)
Book and Documentary Heritage Museum of Iran is a subset of National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI), in which invaluable historical works, manuscripts, rare and exquisite printed books and works related to a number of Iranian celebrities are shown.
Malek National Museum and Library is a museum and national library in Tehran, Iran. Malek National Library and Museum Institution (MNLMI) is the first private museum of Iran and one of the six large libraries holding exquisite manuscripts.
