The Brunei Galley is currently showing some of Dr Cyrus Alai’s unique map collection. It’s a graphical journey through the historical representations and culture of Persia. At the opening of the FREE exhibition, Cyrus’ outstanding contribution to scholarship about Iran was praised. His two stunning books General Maps of Persia and Special Maps of Persia include both meticulous detail, as well as an overarching grasp of the key issues.
But it’s surely best to share some of Cyrus’ own points about how he started collecting when he was separated from the country of his birth. Maps contains many more layers of information than meets the eye. Historical maps, especially, encapsulate ideas of political power and control, just as much as empirical geographical observations. And maps are much more international than literature.
Cyrus wasn’t that interested in collecting maps as aesthetic objects, or for their rarity (and so financial value). Instead, he is interested in maps as an assemblage of historical, geographical and political information. He has gifted his collection to the SOAS Archive, to try to encourage future researchers to build on his work.