The Persian Gulf is a geographical name rooted in ancient history, a leading archeologist said.
The statement was made at a recent two-day international workshop on ’The Persian Gulf in Prehistory and History’ held at Durham University in northern England .
Legitimate Name
“From my perspective, the geographical term for that body of water is the Persian Gulf,“ Professor Robin Cunningham, head of the Department of Archeology at Durham University , added.
“Unfortunately, politicians do not pay much attention to details as they should and make clumsy mistakes,“ Cunningham said in reference to recent attempts to misrepresent the waterway.
Even British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently referred to it as “the Gulf of Arabia “ in a speech at the UK Low-Carbon Economy Summit held in London before the Durham conference.
Asked by IRNA, Professor Maurizio Tosi of Italy , who has more than 40 years of experience in the study of archeology in the Persian Gulf , also had no doubts about the legitimate name.
“There is no question about the name; it is Khalij-e Fars ( Persian Gulf ). It was translated by Romans from the Latin word “Sinus Persicus“ which means the Persian Gulf ,“ he said.
“Nobody disputes that it’s Khalij-e Fars and the name belongs to Fars and hence to Iran .“ Tosi also suggested that Iran should open a court case at the international court and take legal action against those fabricating the name of the Persian Gulf .
The international workshop, organized in collaboration with Iran ’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization and the British Institute of Persian Studies, was one of the first of its kind to involve archeologists and academics from all over the world.
Science Not Politics
Barbara Cerasetti from the Italian Bologna University distanced herself from attempts to alter the name, saying that the study of archeology is a “science, not politics“.
“Once a geographical name such as Persian Gulf is firmly rooted in culture and history, this should not be changed artificially,“ said one of her university colleagues, Pierfrancesco Callieri.
“Archeologists as men of humanities must fight against war,“ Callieri, who is an expert of Iranian archeology, said.
“Cultural links are the best weapon against conflicts,“ he added in reference to military incursions in the region, namely Iraq and Afghanistan .
Professor Holly Pittman from University of Pennsylvania underlined the importance of not changing historical names or geographical terms.
“The name Persian Gulf is historical and internationally accepted such as the United Nations, New York Times, etc., and should be used in all references to this important body of water,“ Pittman said.
Asked what response should be given in one sentence to those trying to change the historical name of Persian Gulf, renowned American archeologist, Professor Carl Lamberg-Karlovsky of Harvard University , replied: “Don’t do it; it is the Persian Gulf .“

Hamedan is believed to be among the oldest cities not only in Iran but also in the world.
According to CHTN, the city is located in the midwest of Iran, about 400 kilometers southwest of Tehran. It is surrounded by green mountainous area in the foothills of the 3,574-meter Alvand Mountain at an altitude of 1,850 meters above the sea level, reported iscanews.ir
The special nature of this old city and its historic sites attract tourists during the summer.
Hamedan was built at about 1100 BC, but some historians believe that it dates back to 3000 BC.
Hamedan was established by the Medes and was the capital of the Median Empire. It then became one of several capital cities of the Achaemenid Dynasty.
Hamedan is mentioned in the biblical book of Ezra as the place where a scroll was found giving the Jews permission from King Darius to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 6:2). Its ancient name of Ecbatana is used in the Ezra text. Because it was a mile above sea level, it was a good place for preserving leather documents.
During the Parthian era, Ctesiphon was the capital of the country, and Hamedan was the summer capital and residence of the Parthian rulers. After the Parthians, the Sassanids constructed their summer palaces in Hamedan. In the year 633, the battle of Nahavand took place and Hamedan fell to Muslim Arabs.
During the Buwayhids , the city suffered much damage. In the 11th century, the Seljuks shifted their capital from Baghdad to Hamedan. The city of Hamedan, its fortunes following the rise and fall of regional powers, was completely destroyed during the Timurid invasion. During the Safavid era, the city thrived.
Thereafter, in the 18th century, Hamedan was surrendered to the Ottomans, but due to the courage and chivalry of Nader Shah Afshar, the founder of Afshar dynasty who ruled from 1736-1747 AD, Hamedan was cleared of invaders and, as a result of a peace treaty between Iran and the Ottomans, it returned to Iranian sovereignty.
Hamedan lies on the Silk Road, and even in recent centuries the city enjoyed strong commerce and trade as a result of its location on the main road network in the western region of Persia and Iran.

Iran’s National Ecotourism Committee has announced that the first ecomuseum will be set up in Tehran’s protected Khajir Park.
The museum, which will be built in the next six months, will provide a natural display of the country’s rich flora and fauna. One of Iran’s four protected areas, the historical park of Khajir was once a Qajar hunting ground, reported Presstv.
Unlike conventional museums, which focus on specific objects, ecomuseums give an insight into cultural heritage.
Director general of Tehran province Environment Department announced that if the plan to transform Khajir into an ecomuseum is successful, the same will be undertaken in Lar Plain National Park.
Qavamoddin Bozorgian added that due to its rich fauna and flora and proximity to the capital, Lar National Park has many economic and ecotourism potentials and is the next choice for an ecomuseum.
The official added that ecomuseum will show plants, animals and human population of a given region and will demonstrate ecological and topographic conditions of the region without harming the environment.
He underlined the need for converting Tehran’s plains into ecomuseums and added that according to definition of tourism, ecomuseum is a natural site that demonstrates natural characteristics of a region and protects local communities by safeguarding their cultural and natural heritage to pave the way for sustainable development.