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The theft of Iran’s cultural heritage goes on, says an article by Iranian news website Tabnak.ir.

The author of the article condemns the fact that Iranian tar (stringed musical instrument) was registered by UNESCO as cultural heritage of the Azerbaijani Republic in the presence of Iranian officials.

“It is very surprising and ridiculous that tar, which has Persian origin, is registered as ownership of a country that has non-Persian speaking population. Where were the Iranian delegates commissioned to UNESCO while the registration was taking place?” writes the author.

Referring to mentions of tar in documents preserved from the period of Achaemenid king Kyros the Great, Iranian musicologist Behruz Vejdani said, “Azerbaijan applies for tar’s UNESCO registration, while Iran had tar prior to the emergence of the Azerbaijani Republic. Moreover, the current territory of Azerbaijan was part of Iran until the Treaty of Turkmenchay was signed.”

“Besides, tar was used by regional countries such as Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Tajikistan as a common musical instrument,” Vejdani concluded.