Persian king, "Cyrus the great" ordered the cylinder to be made following the conquest of Babylon (The piece, discovered in Iraq in 1879). Historians regard it as the world's first declaration of human rights and it is valued by people around the world as a symbol of tolerance and respect for different peoples and faiths. Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, said:
"You could almost say that the Cyrus Cylinder is a history of the Middle East in one object. It is a link to a past which we all share and to a key moment in history that has shaped the world around us."
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