30th Birthday - Part Two: British Museum

Earlier this fall, the greatest exhibition ever assembled on the wonders of Ancient Persia arrived in London's British Museum. FORGOTTEN EMPIRE: The World of Ancient Persia is a never-before-gathered-together celebration of the glories of Ancient Persia circa 500-300 BC, from the rule of Cyrus the Great to Darius the Great.

The collection brilliantly amasses unique archaeological artifacts, friezes, jewelery (and much, much more) from The National Museum of Iran, The Persepolis Museum, The Louvre in Paris as well as the British Museum. Consequently, it sheds a mainstream light onto an empire that spanned millions of miles, influenced and contributed vastly to dozens of cultures, yet somehow found itself written out of most history books.

As part of the 30th Birthday Bonanza, John took me to this fantastic exhibit, as if to somehow remind me of my origins and encourage me to utilize this very public venue for some private reflection...

It worked like a charm, and we both had a ball! It is important to note (and quite fitting) that the very day we visited turned out to be "Persian Family Day" (I kid you not!). Being surrounded by hundreds of Persian families (from grandmas and grandpas all the way down to little babies) made me realize how much I missed spending birthday time with my family this year, but it also made the absence seem less poignant, because I was still surrounded by Persian banter and laughing and a great family atmosphere! Truth be told, it felt like Rent-A-Persian-Family-Day!

The British Museum did an extraordinary job of organizing events throughout the day, and as can be seen in the photos, attendees were privy to dance performances, arts and crafts, calligraphy, classical Persian piano as well as a surprise ROYAL visit from Darius the Great! And, as if that weren't enough, even the Museum Cafe jumped onboard and served up some typical Persian lunch foods! Delicious!!