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US Returns to Iran Latest Batch of Ancient Clay Tablets

Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned from the United States and on display at Iran's National Museum in Tehran on October 2, 2019 - AFP
Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned from the United States and on display at Iran's National Museum in Tehran on October 2, 2019 - AFP
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US Returns to Iran Latest Batch of Ancient Clay Tablets

Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned from the United States and on display at Iran's National Museum in Tehran on October 2, 2019 - AFP
Achaemenid-era clay tablets returned from the United States and on display at Iran's National Museum in Tehran on October 2, 2019 - AFP

The United States has returned to Iran more than 1,000 clay tablets dating from the Achaemenid-era, official media said, reporting the sixth such handover of its kind.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said Thursday evening that the tablets, 1,100 in all, were returned with President Masoud Pezeshkian who had attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Found at the ruins of Persepolis, the capital of the Persian Achaemenid Empire which ruled from the 6th to 4th centuries BC in southern Iran, the repatriated tablets reflect how the ancient society was organised and its economy managed.

According to AFP, the tablets constitute records of "the rituals and the way of life of our ancestors", said Ali Darabi, vice-minister of cultural heritage, cited by IRNA.

The tablets were returned to Iran by the University of Chicago's Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa, formerly known as the Oriental Institute.

A large portion of the tablets were returned in three batches between 1948 and 2004 before the rest were blocked by legal action until 2018.

More than 3,500 tablets were repatriated in September, 2023.

"The American side undertook to return the rest," Darabi said, cited by Iran's ISNA news agency.

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'Riyadh Reads' is the Motto of Riyadh International Book Fair 2024

The motto aims to emphasize the importance of reading in enhancing the quality of life and broadening the intellectual and cultural horizons of readers
The motto aims to emphasize the importance of reading in enhancing the quality of life and broadening the intellectual and cultural horizons of readers
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'Riyadh Reads' is the Motto of Riyadh International Book Fair 2024

The motto aims to emphasize the importance of reading in enhancing the quality of life and broadening the intellectual and cultural horizons of readers
The motto aims to emphasize the importance of reading in enhancing the quality of life and broadening the intellectual and cultural horizons of readers

The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission has announced the motto for the Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF) as "Riyadh Reads."

The fair, organized by the commission, will be held from September 26 to October 5 at King Saud University, with the participation of leading figures in culture, literature, and thought from the Kingdom, the region, and the world.

The motto aims to emphasize the importance of reading in enhancing the quality of life and broadening the intellectual and cultural horizons of readers. It also highlights Riyadh as a city that promotes reading, featuring images of people holding books and reading with the words "Riyadh Reads," reflecting the spirit of the fair and expressing its cultural, intellectual, and literary content.

An awareness campaign for the RIBF motto was launched to attract the attention of the public, including adults, adolescents, children, readers, and publishers. The campaign includes billboards in the streets of Riyadh and King Khalid International Airport featuring images of people holding books with the slogan "Riyadh Reads."
Over 2,000 publishing houses and agencies from the Kingdom, the region, and the world will participate in this year's fair, distributed across 800 pavilions and representing over 30 countries. This reflects the significant importance of the RIBF as one of the most prominent and important book fairs at the regional and global levels.

The new edition of the fair offers a rich cultural program that includes over 200 events suitable for all ages. The events encompass various seminars, panel discussions, lectures, poetry evenings, and workshops presented by a select group of writers, intellectuals, and cultural figures from Saudi Arabia and other countries.

The topics discussed will cover various fields, and the outdoor area of the fair will feature numerous interactive shows and distinctive cultural, artistic, and theatrical events presented by a group of artists and theater professionals.