Displaying unique pieces of art treasures belonging to the Iranian National Museum, the "7,000 Years of Iranian Art" exhibit was officially inaugurated Thursday evening with the presence of hundreds of German and Iranian dignitaries, diplomats, artists and member of intelligentsia and journalists.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremonies, Director of the Iranian National Museum Mr. Mohammad Reza Kargar expressed the hope to see such events become a bridge in bringing people together and said Iran had taken the first step towards that goal when President Mohammad Khatami launched his project of Dialogue Among Civilisations.

He also lashed out at the Afghan ruling Taleban for the recent destruction of the giant Buddha statues in the mountains of Bamiyan, describing the sacrilege demolition as the "one of the humanity’s most bitter event".

Bonn is the third European city after Vienna and Rome where the 7000 Years of Persian Art and Civilisation in being put on display for five months, during which visitors can admire wonders of Persian art and civilisation, and to see that, for instance, the Iranians were using pipes for transporting water of asphalt in the construction of houses years before these elements were used elsewhere in the world.

Herr Wenzel Jakob, Mr. Kargar’s counterpart at the Bonn Museum observed that the Iranian exhibit exemplifies the Eastern approach and perspective of history" and noted that it it organised at a time that Iranian and Germany are getting closer in their mutual and historic relations.

Also on display are items from different periods in Persian history such as the Medes civilisation (550-612 B.C.) the founders of ancient Iran, followed by the Achaemenids who established the great Persian Empire.

Magnificent gold and silver vessels of the Achaemenid kings and clay figures from the 7th millennium are some of the numerous highlights of the art exhibition.