Libraries’ “Ancient Civilizations” Series Focuses on Mesopotamia and Persia in January

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Fort Bend County Libraries will have an educational series focusing on “Ancient Civilizations” this year. The first program in the series, “Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia and Ancient Persia,” will take place on Saturday, January 21st, from 2 to 4 pm, in the Meeting Room of George Memorial Library in Richmond, located at 1001 Golfview in Richmond.

In this first program in the “Ancient Civilizations” series, architecture professor Sheba Akhtar will talk about how Mesopotamia became known as the “Cradle of Civilization” through its religion, writing, cities, art and architecture. Learn about the emergence of agriculture in the “fertile crescent.” Discover how Ancient Persia was shaped by events such as the Babylonians’ destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem, the Persian Emperor Cyrus’s conquest of Babylon and reconstruction of the Jewish temple and Alexander’s defeat of Persia and the burning of the Persian capital, Persepolis.

An assistant professor of architecture at Prairie View A&M University, Akhtar received her Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania and taught art and architecture history for more than 20 years. She has practiced as an architect in the United States, England, Scotland, Jordan, and Pakistan. She is the author of “Of Colour and Form” and numerous articles on art and architecture.

The next program in the Ancient Civilizations series will take place on Saturday, February 11th, at the Cinco Ranch Branch Library. The topic will be “Egypt.”

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.fortbend.lib.tx.us or call 281-342-4455.