A new exhibition at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., offers a glimpse into the rich literary tradition of the Persian language. Titled "A Thousand Years of The Persian Book," the exhibit showcases a unique Persian collection, one of the most important outside of Iran. It includes editions of the 10th-century epic poem "The Shahnameh" -- or "Book of Kings" -- as well as contemporary novels from Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. The head curator, Hirad Dinavari, told RFE/RL that the goal of the exhibition is to introduce the Persian language to a Western audience, and to help give Persian speakers a better understanding of their own heritage.
