Page 11 - Expotime10_11_2017

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The Choga Zanbil zigurrat which is named the best preserved zigurrat worldwide, became the first World Heritage site
in Iran already in 1979.

Museum, as there is poor information on the site itself.
February and April and between October and December. The Shush museum is located in a garden near to the
There is no public transport but a lot of taxis. archeological site and both are open for the public. Right
beside the museum is the entrance to the archeological
The main treasures are in the Louvre site. A plaster model of the archeological site at Shush
gives the missing information on the area.
The French group sent 50% of the discovered material to
the Louvre in Paris. Just some special objects remained The museum shows in six big rooms artifacts from
in Iran. When the diplomat J. Coiffard brought objects ancient Susa, Khuzistan and Luristan. The highlight is a
from ancient Luristan to the Louvre in 1958, the Louvre huge bull-head from the Apadana; clay masks from Haft
was able to show systematically, how the civilizations in Tappeh and some female clay figurines can probably not
Southern Iran rose and declined ‒ from Sumer to Babylon, be seen anywhere else. There are bricks from Chogha
from Elam to the Persians and the arrival of Islam. 10 Zanbil with inscriptions as well as reliefs from the
Parthians. Ceramics from the pre-Elamite time and
in 1881, the French government had created a “Depart- pottery from the fifth millenium BC are among the
ment of Oriental Antiques“. At this time, the French treasures as well as painted vases from the tombs. The
vice-consul at Basra excavated Sumerian relics from exhibited glazed reliefs are copies from the originals in
Mesopotamia which came into the Louvre museum. But the Louvre.
the heart of the Near East collection in the Louvre
became the ancient Iranian civilization of Susa. The Unfortunately, the small, but modern museum is situated
Louvre got items from a period of time which began in in the centre of a modern Iranian city and the way how
the 5 millenium BC and reached, without interruption, the locals enjoy a “garden weekend“ is dangerous to the
th
to Islamic Iran in the Middle Ages ‒ from just one region ancient treasures. Many stones, column bases and pieces
in Khuzestan. A few years later, in 1886, the world- from the palaces are exhibited without any protection in
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known polychrome brick decoration of the Susanian the garden and some inscriptions suffered a lot by
palace of Darius came to the Louvre. thousands of hands touching them. It became quite
popular to sit on the ancient stone relics and take a
And in 1901, the famous museum in Paris got the Code of photo; this uncontrolled possessive behaviour spoils the
Hammurabi. The Stele with the “Codex Hammurabi“ is presented objects on the long term.
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one of the most important documents of all cultures.
The Louvre got it totally legally because the French Strangely enough, the museum supports the popular
archeologists had a contract which included the right for entertainment, and the museum officials do not enlighten
exporting excavations made in the Iran. It shows the the visitors that archeological relics from Elamite times
problem with some looted art objects. But does it belong are not the proper place for a picnic and playground.
to Iran at all? As it is generally known, the Elamites stole Rubbish is omnipresent, combined with zero respect
it from Babylon and brought it to Susa. towards the ancient heritage.
World Heritage with flaws
Shush Museum
A visit the ruins of Susa, Shush museum, the tomb of
Any visitor of the ruins should first visit the small Shush Daniel, Chogha Zandil and Haft Tappeh is a striking

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EXPOTIME!, issue October / November 2017