British Museum lends ancient artifact to Iran

A Babylonian artifact sometimes described as the world's first human rights charter is to go on display in Tehran Friday after the Iranian government pressured the British Museum into loaning the object.

The Cyrus Cylinder is a sixth-century BC clay object inscribed in cuneiform with an account of the conquest of Babylon by the Persian King Cyrus the Great.

The object's inscription describes how Cyrus followed up on his conquest by freeing many people held captive by the Babylonians.

The Cyrus Cylinder arrived in Iran on Friday and will go on display in the coming days at Iran's National Museum for four months, state TV reported.

The British Museum had repeatedly delayed agreeing to Iran's request to loan the object, state TV said.

Iran said it threatened to cut ties with the institution, with one senior Iranian cultural official accusing the museum of turning a cultural issue into a political issue.

Tehran is under pressure from the West over its nuclear program, and it has accused Britain and other foreign governments of interfering in its domestic policies and of stoking the street protests that followed the disputed presidential election in June 2009.  

Acted in good faith: museum

In a statement released Friday, the British Museum said it acted in good faith throughout the negotiations that began in October.

"Although political relations between Iran and the U.K. are at the moment difficult ... it is all the more important to maintain the cultural links which have been so carefully built up over a period of years and which could in themselves lead to a better relationship," the museum said.

The object's inscription describes how Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BC and captured the last Babylonian king.

It also tells of how he then freed slaves and captives and arranged for them to return to their homelands. It does not mention the Jews brought to Babylon as slaves by Nebuchadnezzar, but their freedom was also part of that policy.

It was common in Mesopotamia for kings to begin their rule with such a declaration of reform, according to the British Museum.

Iran state TV said a delegation from the British Museum accompanied the artifact and another British expert would soon arrive to help with its display.