TRAVELING IN STYLE : SIDE TRIPS : The Persian Version

Persia, now the Islamic Republic of Iran, can boast about as much fascinating, world-changing history as any place on earth--from Assyrian days to the Ayatollah K. and beyond--and much of this history has been depicted and mythologized in the nation’s rich and varied artistic traditions. “Art of the Persian Courts: Selections From the Art and History Trust,” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art from Nov. 5 through Jan. 24, is part of one of the world’s largest private collections of Persian masterworks--including two 6-by-4-foot pages from a Koran commissioned by Tamerlane, and a 16th-Century watercolor, attributed to Abdul Aziz, pictured above. Admission: $5 ($3.50 for students, senior citizens over 62). Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 857-6000.