HYDERABAD: Iran Consul General Hamid Ahmadi on Wednesday said India and Iran share centuries-old cultural and diplomatic ties during a visit to the Telangana State Archives and Research Institute in Hyderabad.
He met director Dr Zareena Parveen and reviewed the preservation, conservation and digitisation of archival records being undertaken in collaboration with the Noor Microfilm International Centre.
Ahmadi appreciated the efforts to preserve documents reflecting the shared heritage of India and Iran, noting that the two countries have maintained cultural and trade links for centuries. He stressed the importance of safeguarding these historical records for future generations.
Parveen briefed the delegation on the archives’ rare collections, including a 1406 AD farman issued by Feroz Shah Bahmani, royal correspondence between the Deccan rulers and the Marathas, greetings sent by the sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, on Sankranti and rare gold-printed correspondence exchanged between the British residents and the rulers of Hyderabad.
The Consul General also praised the conservation and digitisation work led by Dr Mahdi Khwaja Piri, director of the Noor Microfilm International Centre. Officials said the centre has digitised more than 22 lakh archival documents and conserved nearly five lakh fragile records.
Ali Niromand, regional director of the Noor Microfilm International Centre, briefed the delegation on the project’s progress.
Ahmadi also appreciated Dr Zareena Parveen’s expertise in reading Shikasta Persian, the cursive script used in Mughal and Deccan Sultanate records.
