Help and funding - EX ORIENTE LUX

To participate

EX ORIENTE LUX enables you to take part in the funding of the projects sponsored by the association through the secure system PayPal.

Rock-relief of Shapur II in Taq-e Bostan (Kermanshah, Iran, 4th century AD)

The association’s credibility is based on the complete transparency of its French and Iranian bank accounts. To do so, each year the statement of receipts is presented as well as the expenditures of the association, checked by donors whose names and contact details as controllers will be joined to the assessment. Each donor has consequently the right to attend the accounts’ verification session held once a year in Paris.

Old Babylonian cylinder seal depicting Hammurabi making a gift to Samash

Previous year accounts statement

Next annual accounts verification session

How the association works

A great part of the money received on the French account of the association is transferred in cash in Iran, where it is exchanged to rials and placed on an Iranian account. This process is due to the impossibility to use directly any foreign bank account in Iran or to transfer directly the money towards an Iranian account notably because of the sanctions imposed on the country for several years.

The money placed on the Iranian account is used for the local expenses in rials, such as the salary of workers or the location of an excavations house.

The money remaining on the French account is used for the expenses in euros, such as the cost of physical or chemical analyses in European laboratories (C14 dating for example) or the flight tickets of European researchers.

The exchange rate of the Euro is of course an important consideration. Currently (April 2016), 1 euro equals around 39 000 rials. It should be reminded that this rate may fluctuate from 34 000 to 42 000 rials for 1 euro.

Urukean cylinder seal (Mesopotamia, late 4th millennium BC)