The current special exhibition on display at the Oriental Institute Museum, "Persepolis: Images of an Empire," curated by Kiersten Neumann, tells but one aspect of a rich story of the Oriental Institute's relationship with Iran, both past and present. A recently posted UChicago News feature on "Preserving Persia’s Glorious Past" by William Harms highlights the many ways in which scholars at the Oriental Institute have contributed to the understanding of the material culture and languages of the Persian Empire: through excavations of Persepolis and the prehistoric site of Chogha Mish, by helping to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Iran and neighboring regions, and continuing to nurture relationships with colleagues both in Iran and the United States. Gil Stein, Director of the Oriental Institute, is quoted in the piece, stating: "No other American university has the depth on Persia and Iranian Archaeology that the University of Chicago has." Also mentioned in the feature is the work of Oriental Institute archaeologist Abbas Alizadeh at the Iran National Museum in Tehran, and Matthew Stolpher, John A. Wilson Professor Emeritus in the Oriental Institute, with the Persepolis Fortification Archive Project.
