'Cyrus Cylinder' a Reminder Of Persian Legacy of Tolerance
Iran’s government encouraged the British Museum to send the Cyrus Cylinder, an ancient artifact celebrating religious liberty, to the United States, the museum director says.
![The Cyrus Cylinder, a 539-530 B.C. artefact, is seen on display at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on their ability to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
The Cyrus Cylinder, a 539-530 B.C. artefact, is seen on display at the National Museum of Iran in Tehran September 12, 2010. Iran has received an ancient Persian treasure from the British Museum after a months-long dispute over its loan to the Islamic Republic, state media reported on Friday. Cyrus is regarded as one of ancient Persia's greatest historical figur](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2013/03/1-RTR2I8K5.jpg/1-RTR2I8K5.jpg?h=2d235432&itok=170tWeAb)
For an artifact with such an awesome legacy, the Cyrus Cylinder is remarkably unprepossessing.
It looks like a small loaf of rye bread from which someone has broken off a chunk.