IRNA – The ancient Iranian relic that was planned to be sold in an auction in New York for $2.5 m and was returned to Iran with legal follow-ups, was unveiled in National Museum of Iran on Sunday.

“We were informed five days before the auction in 2017 that the antique is to be sold and prevented it with the help of Iran’s Foreign Ministry and Permanent Mission to the United Nations,” said the Head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Organization.

Aliasghar Mounesan added, “We spared no effort to prove Iran’s ownership of the relief at the court. The artifact was delivered to Iranian officials during the Iranian president’s visit to New York to participate in the 73rd United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).”

He added that the artifact is on display in National Museum of Iran and will be returned back to its very place in Persepolis, central Iran.

The relief was excavated some 90 years ago and was carried out of Iran illegally 10 years later.

Iran filed a case to a court in New York in October 2017 to take back the ancient artifact.

The court ordered the relic to be returned to Iran on July 11, 2018 and it was delivered to Iranian officials on September 4.

Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550-330 BC). It is situated 60 km northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province, Iran. The earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. It exemplifies the Achaemenid style of architecture. UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.