Culture Minister Signs MOU with his Qatari Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Culture and his Qatari counterpart as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.
Saudi Minister of Culture and his Qatari counterpart as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.
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Culture Minister Signs MOU with his Qatari Counterpart

Saudi Minister of Culture and his Qatari counterpart as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.
Saudi Minister of Culture and his Qatari counterpart as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.

Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan held a meeting in Doha with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, as part of his official visit to Qatar to attend the opening of the Doha International Book Fair.

During the meeting, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Culture Minister and his Qatari counterpart to strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse cultural areas.

Prince Badr expressed his appreciation for inviting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be the guest of honor at Doha International Book Fair 2023, highlighting the depth of the relationship between the two countries and the significance of collaborative cultural cooperation.

The signing of this memorandum reflects the joint efforts of both countries to foster cooperation across various fields.



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.