27 November 2012
The 2,500-year-old Cyrus Cylinder, discovered in Iraq in 1879, is to go on loan to be displayed in the United States.
Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum exlains that by lending the Cyrus Cylinder to Iran in 2010 and now sending the artefact to the United States, would improve International Relations.
The Babylonian clay cylinder dates from the 6th century BC, is 10 inches long and historians regard it as the world's first declaration of human rights, valued by people around the world as a symbol of tolerance and respect for different peoples and faiths.
Trustees of the British Museum feel that art and culture can sustain relationships between the people of nations even when diplomacy is strained.
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