He told IRNA that the treasure, comprising 2,300 pieces of registered historical artifacts, 1,000 non-registered and protected objects, 100 ancient hand-written books and 2,500 volumes of books published on historical, archaeological and artisitic subjects, is of high appeal to national and foreign lovers of art and culture.

The museum director said that annually around 100,000 visitors tour Azarbaijan museum.

Qandgar said that the museum is determined to conduct research on evidences traced on the man and his environment by examining the collection of available artifacts and to find the link between them.

"According to the availabe data, the museum in Tabriz dates back to 50 years ago," he added.

He pointed out that the architecture of the current museum building, which is adjacent to Tabriz Kabud mosque on Imam Khomeini Avenue, was drawn by the late Ismail Dibaj in accordance with a design from the French archaeologist, Andree Godar.

The official referred to the pre-Islamic archaeological section on the ground floor, the one on the Islamic period on the upper floor and the fair on artifacts on the basement as some of the diverse sections of the museum.

"A variety of ceramics and tin artifacts are chronologically showcased in the first hall starting the fifth millennium BC up to the Sassnid era and development of the Islamic civilization," he added.

He noted that the most ancient ceramics of the section is linked with the civilization of Ismailabad, located between Karadj and Qazvin, which has been unearthed during the excavation of a hill at the site.

"Also a number of artifacts dating back to 10th-20th centuries are presented in the upper floor," he added.

Qandgar said that the painted and glazed ceramics have been unearthed in Neishabur, Gorgan and Shahr-e Rey.

He added that an sculpture exhibition of the works of the prominent Tabrizi sculptor, Ahad Hosseini, is currently on show in the Azarbaijan museum.