My father's family were conservators and book binders going back five generations, so I grew up with Persian arts and antiques around me in Iran. I was always mesmerised byarchitecture, the colourful tiles and the fantastic floral designs in Tehran's 19th-century palaces. We moved to the UK when I was 10. Later, I studied Middle Eastern Archaeology and Islamic History of Art at university, followed by a Masters in Museum Studies.
