Khosrow Motazed contemporary historian

Petroleum Museum, a Big Job

Khosrow Motazed, a contemporary historian, has said that launching petroleum museums in Iran is a big job requiring huge endeavor.

He said that launching a museum needs compilation of documents, adding: "I hope that these documents would help us know further about the history of oil."

Motazed said National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) is undoubtedly one of the oldest administrative structures in Iran, adding that this company has been working since 1908. "Every Iranian must be familiar with its history now," he said.

"I've heard that such museums are to be set up in 15 spots, starting from Abadan. I feel happy about that and I think that a major plan in this country is under way," he added.

Motazed said he had compiled around 250 papers about the history of oil industry, including the document on the nationalization of Iran's petroleum industry. He added that he had shown his compiled documents to museum organizers.

The author of "Soil's Blood" said the museum organizers had been compiling documents for months, describing as "extraordinary" the activities carried out so far.

"NIOC and the Ministry of Petroleum are the most basic and the most important ministries and bodies in the country. I do not agree with the phrase had 'we would have been luckier without oil' and 'oil left us unhappy' and 'without oil, we would have been more active'. It is a God-given blessing. Look at some of our neighboring countries. They have neither oil nor island. It is up to us to benefit from these blessings and appreciate them," said Motazed.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the historian referred to the history of oil in Iran.

"As stipulated in Shahnameh and other history books…, Iranians were familiar with oil from ancient time. In Pahvali language, oil was known as napta, but the Arabs pronounced it as naphtha. According to documents, when Xerxes invaded the Arc of Athens Iranian archers used oil-tainted incendiary arches," he said.

Motazed added that in 1859, when oil was discovered in Pennsylvania, the Seneka tribe was using oil for stomachache and it was still unknown for lighting.

"Of course in Iran, oil was gushing out automatically and it was used only in battles or treatment of diseases in camels. We read in history that when Alexander came to Iran he was surprised to see oil, inflammable substance," he said.

Motazed said that petroleum industry is one of the most sensitive, the most fundamental and the most important industries in Iran, adding: "Oil has been instrumental in certain periods of history in the country. During the [Iraqi] imposed war, some 1,150 NIOC employees were killed in martyrdom while they were on duty in refineries in Abadan, Shiraz, Azna, Isfahan, etc. I am compiling their story through interviews with their families. I hope that this book would be printed soon."