Sumptuous Persian relics reveal legacy of cultural connections

Silhouettes of Xerxes I, the legendary Persian king best known for his war against the Greeks, can be seen all over the exhibition. A stone foundation carved with his enthronement edict, written in old Persian cuneiform script, marks the beginning of a reign that cast a lasting influence on the trajectory of history.

Despite this, Darius' image is more than the political ambition and belligerence with which he is associated by historians. Another exhibit, a bust in blue paste that was chosen to feature on the exhibition poster, shows another side of the legendary monarch.

Portrayed without a beard, the bust is thought to portray Darius in his early years, a time before he became a powerful monarch, when he was still just a handsome young man with a smiling face.