Iran Commemorates Ferdowsi Day | ||
ational Ferdowsi Day was commemorated in Tehran during a ceremony organized by the Niavaran Historical and Cultural Complex and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The director of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office Qunli Han and Secretary General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO Mohammadreza Saeidabadi along with a number of officials attended the ceremony, held in May. “I am proud to attend such a celebration of Ferdowsi and his precious book, Shahnameh in Iran,” Fars News quoted Han Qunli as saying. Translated into many languages in the world, Shahnameh (book of Kings) manifests its own value and the significance of its creator, he explained. “It is within the agenda of UNESCO to introduce and honor historical world figures, as on the issue Ferdowsi stands at the top,” he added. In 1989 UNESCO planned to celebrate the Shahnameh millennium, and now it is a great honor for UNESCO, alongside other Ferdowsi lovers, in taking part in this commemoration, Qunli explained. “UNESCO is responsible for giving a correct and proper understanding of all cultures so that everybody can live a better and happier life alongside one another,” Secretary General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO Mohammadreza Saeidabad, said at the ceremony. Furthermore, The Niavaran Chamber Orchestra next performed the piece “Simorgh,” by composer Shahin Farhat. Rasul Najafian also recited excerpts from the Shahnameh. An exhibition of teahouse paintings were also displayed accompanied with naqqali, a style of storytelling dedicated to epic stories from Shahnameh, performed by mentor Mohsen Mirza-Ali. Meanwhile, on the occasion of commemorating the 1001st anniversary of the composition of Shahnameh, a portrait of Ferdowsi, painted by Akram Khatibi, Iranian woman painter, was unveiled at the tomb of this great poet in Mashhad. Completed in 1010 AD, Shahnameh is a classic among epic Persian poetry and recounts Iran’s mythical and historical past. It was written in Persian at a time when Arabic was the main scientific and literary language of Iran. Regarding outstanding literary work, the Shahnameh millennium was accepted on UNESCO’s 2010 calendar of events. | ||
Statistics View: 1,991 |
||