Heres a superb gripping history of Sassanid Iran that combines scholarship with great storytelling and a cast of powerful characters bringing to life 3 centuries of history at the centre of the world. Highly recommended. Read Last Empire of Iran the book by MRJB 🇬🇧🇨🇦

The K R Cama Oriental Institute of Bombay (established in 1916) in memory of Kharshedji Rustomji Cama, houses one of the most important collections of the #Zoroastrian manuscripts in the world. کتابخانه موسسه شرق‌شناسی کاما در بمبئی، یکی از مهمترین گنجینه‌های نسخ خطی زرتشتی 🔥

Depiction of backgammon on bowl. Iran, 7th to 8th century. National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC.

Sasanian items at the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC.

Sasanian seal. National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC.

Sasanian Persian plate, triumph of Dionysus. Hercules depicted on right. Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art.

Shapur II, the Great (𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩; شاپور دوم), tenth Sasanian King of Kings (Shahanshah) of Iran Longest-reigning monarch in Iranian history (309–379 CE). One of longest reigning monarchs in world history Known illustrations of Shapur II: bulla/sealing ⤵️🧵

13) Some gold coins of Shapur II 1-2: British Museum , 1: Merv 3-4: also MRWY ⤵️

Another Sasanian sword. NYC Met. metmuseum.org/art/collection…

Spending time together. 6th cent. Sasanian. britishmuseum.org/collection/obj…

Lapis lazuli stamp-seal with two scorpions facing each other. Sasanian, 4th cent. britishmuseum.org/collection/obj…

Sims-Williams (1983: 132) makes this observation. An indirect item of linguistic evidence that suggests a not insignificant number of Buddhists lived under the Parthians.

Harmatta (1982) studied this coin (Cabinet des Médailles). It looks Sasanian, but it was for Yabgu Qaghan c. 625. The ruler is beardless, so not Persian. The fire worship combines Zoroastrian and Śaivaite features, the latter being the flaming head (not a Persian feature).

Family of Uyghur donors. Shiksha monastery. Karashar. 9th-10th cent. hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/her…

Pahlavi (Middle Persian) and Sogdian inscriptions on fragrant wood, preserved in Japan. Circa 8th century, but imported from abroad. Tokyo National Museum. webarchives.tnm.jp/imgsearch/show…

Pleased to announce I've signed a book contract with Brill. My forthcoming (2024) monograph: Sino-Iranian and Sino-Arabian Relations in Late Antiquity: China and the Parthians, Sasanians, and Arabs in the First Millennium.

Coming soon. brill.com/display/title/…

The Sino-Iran project is coming to an end. I'm pleased to say that the book stemming from the project will be published soon (Open Access). In May, we had a great conference here in Ravenna. As a Sinologist, I learnt a lot immersing myself in Iranology. sinoiran.it

My book is now available for download as an open access book (free PDF). brill.com/display/title/…