Abdul Majid Arfaee, a researcher in ancient history of Ilam and expert in Avestan, Elamite and Akkadian languages, will share part of his vast knowledge on Mesopotamian civilization. The 79-year-old philologist, who translated Cyrus Charter, declaration of human rights by Cyrus the Great (600-530 BC), into Persian for the first time, will attend a meeting on September 5 at the Iranian Academy of Arts in Tehran and speak on the role of Mesopotamia in the development of ancient civilizations. Arfaee will briefly explain the birth of ancient civilizations on the banks of Tigris and Euphrates and the land between the two rivers. He will explain how the “cradle of civilization” influenced neighbors and farther lands, according to the website of the Iranian Academy of Arts (Honar.ac.ir). After his lecture, the meeting will move to the topic of “Nature of Ancient Art” at which Amir Mazyar will talk. Mazyar is a philosopher of art, author and translator of books on aesthetics and philosophy. Philosopher Amin Shahverdi will be the third speaker. He will explain how ancient people’s preoccupation about death and afterlife can be used as a basis for analysis of Mesopotamian art and literature. The meeting is organized by the Science and Research Department of Iranian Academy of Arts. It will be held at the conference hall of the academy located at No. 1552, Valiasr Avenue, south of Taleqani Avenue. The event is open to the public.
