Architectural design for mausoleum of Shams of Tabriz unveiled

December 31, 2014, 12:46 pm

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TEHRAN – The architectural design for the mausoleum of Shams of Tabriz was unveiled during a ceremony yesterday in Khoy, which is home to the mausoleum of the tutor of the Persian poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi.

The design was created by the acclaimed Iranian architect Nader Ardalan who is a senior research associate at Harvard University.

“Construction of a mausoleum for Shams of Tabriz is a spiritual mystery,” Ardalan said at the ceremony and added, “Understanding the mystery and – naturally – solving it is not a simple task at all.”

“For solving the mystery, one should not only be a good architect but also should know the character of Shams well,” Ardalan stated.

“If so, you can expect the visitors to be mesmerized by the mystery of the mausoleum,”

Several literati and officials including Managing Director of the Shams and Rumi Foundation Hojjatollah Ayyubi and the director of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel attended the ceremony.

The scholar and literati Mohammad-Ali Movahed, 91, who has done much research on Shams, was also honored during the ceremony.

Photo: A bust of Shams of Tabriz is display near his grave in Khoy.

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“Slow Sound of Snow” to go on stage in Europe

January 2, 2015, 10:47 am

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TEHRAN – The Iranian theater troupe A Hole in the Wall will stage a play entitled “Slow Sound of Snow” in Warsaw, Amsterdam and Berlin in June and July.

“Our performances have been set for these cities, however we are negotiating with a Parisian theater to stage the play in another city as well,” director Jaber Ramezani told the Persian service of ISNA on Thursday.

However he did not mention the exact date for the performances.

Sadeq Malaki, Afsaneh Mahian, Farbod Farhang and Maryam Nurmohammadi are the members of A Hole in the Wall.

Co-written by Payam Saeidi and Jaber Ramezani, “Slow Sound of Snow” is based on Turkish playwright Tuncer Cücenoglu’s “Snow Break”.

“Slow Sound of Snow” is about a family living in a mountain cottage, in which even a small sound could trigger an avalanche.

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Winners of Sixth Intl. Student Film Festival announced

January 2, 2015, 10:48 am

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TEHRAN – Winners of the Sixth International Student Film Festival were announced during a ceremony at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) University on Wednesday.

“The Prophet of Kindness” by Mohammad-Saeid Qashqaii from Iran received the first prize in the international section of the festival, Persian media reported on Friday.

“Neighbors…, Damascus, Religion and Man” directed by Ahmad Al-Ashqar and “Enrolment” by Ammar Abi Al-Shoveili both from Syria shared the second prize.

“Meeting” by Amir-Abbas Rabiei from Iran and “Position of Seyyedeh Zeinab (SA)” by Mohamed Safieddine from Lebanon also shared the third prize.

The international section was added to the festival this year and Islamic unity and fighting Takfiri groups were the focus of this section.

Over 150 films from different countries competed in various sections of the festival, which ran from December 7 to 10.

In addition, filmmaker Ahmadreza Motamedi and veteran IRIB scholar Saeid Tavakkolian were honored at the closing ceremony.

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Nasser Khosro guaranteed Iranian identity: Eslami Nodushan

January 2, 2015, 10:38 am

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TEHRAN -- Persian literature expert Mohammad-Ali Eslami Nodushan said that Iranian poet Nasser Khosro (1004-C1072) guaranteed Iranian identity and became eternal in the history of Persian literature.

“He was influenced by [Persian poet] Ferdowsi and was one of his enthusiasts. More than everything and everyone else, these two poets were similar in their attitudes toward Iranian identity,” he said during a meeting held by the Book City Institute in Tehran to commemorate Nasser Khosro.

“We have the genres of ode and eulogy in Iranian poetry, but Nasser Khosro did not belong in any of these genres. He was awakened by the call of his conscience and reached a place he desired. He could not confine his soul to a certain place and situation, and this can be identified as his mental turmoil which compelled him to create his literary works,” stated Eslami Nodushan, who is author of dozens of books and articles on Persian language and literature.

However, Eslami Nodushan criticized him for his tendency towards the Fatimids who headed the Ismailite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam whose missionaries were engaged in propagating their doctrine throughout the Islamic world. Nasser Khosro became such a missionary following his journey to Egypt in 1045.

During the meeting, the philosopher and Persian literature expert, Gholam-Hossein Ebrahimi Dinani, called Nasser Khosro a prominent Persian poet, who is considered as the pillar of the Khorasani style.

He referred to Eslami Nodushan’s remarks in which he called Iranians “double thinking people” and said, “How great remark is it.”

“Of course, the intention is not in a bad sense. He [Eslami Nodushan] also said that many countries forgot their past after the advent of Islam: Egypt is not Coptic anymore; Lebanon is not Phoenician anymore; Iraq is Babylonian or Assyrian anymore… Iran is the only country that did not become arabized after the advent of Islam.”

A professor of Al-Azhar University told me ‘Alas! We had no Ferdowsi.’ Of course he is right. We had Ferdowsi and Nasser Khosro, but they had no one like that. Why did the other Islamic countries forget their past and we did not?… The answer is that they did not have a robust culture and we had… This is what double thinking means: that the robust culture is never expelled from the souls of Iranians.”

Nasser Khosro’s poetry is of a didactic and devotional character and consists mainly of long odes that are considered to be of high literary quality, Encyclopædia Britannica wrote.

His philosophical poetry includes the Rawshanainame (Book of Lights). His most celebrated prose work is the Safarname (Diary of a Journey Through Syria and Palestine), a diary describing his seven-year journey. He also wrote more than a dozen treatises expounding the doctrines of the Ismailis, among them the Jami al-Hikmatayn (“Union of the Two Wisdoms”), in which he attempted to harmonize Ismaili theology and Greek philosophy.

Nasser Khosro’s literary style is straightforward and vigorous. In his verse he displays great technical virtuosity, while his prose is remarkable for the richness of its philosophical vocabulary.

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What’s in art galleries

January 3, 2015, 12:50 pm

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Photo

* An exhibition of photos by Mehrdad Afsari is underway at Mohsen Gallery.

The exhibit runs until January 5 at the gallery located on Naji St., near Farzan St., off East Mina Blvd. in the Zafar neighborhood.

Painting

* Golestan Gallery is displaying paintings by Bahman Nikuii at an exhibition, which runs until January 7.

The gallery can be found at 34 Kamasaii St. in the Darus neighborhood.

* An exhibition of paintings by Mahyar Charmchi and his students is underway at Aqili Gallery.

The exhibit will continue until January 8 at the gallery located at 12, Simay-e Iran St., in the Shahrak-e Gharb neighborhood.

* A selection of paintings by Mohammad Tabatabaii is on show at Shokuh Gallery.

The exhibit runs until January 14 at the gallery located at 19 Amir Nuri Alley, North Salimi St. near Andarzgu Blvd.

* Tarrahan-e Azad Gallery is displaying paintings by Masumeh Mozaffari.

The exhibit will run until January 6 at the gallery, which can be found at 41 Salmas Square, off Fatemi St.

Lithograph

* An exhibition of lithographs by a group of artists is underway at Hur Gallery.

Works by Ahmad Vakili, Mehrda Khataii, Zahra Hosseini, Homayun Salimi and several more will be on show until January 16 at the gallery located at 12 Naeimi, Mirza Sharazi St., off Motahhari Ave.

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Art news in brief

January 3, 2015, 12:51 pm

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Graphic designs on Supreme Leader published in book

TEHRAN – A book entitled “Point Point Love”, which contains a collection of graphic designs on Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has recently been published.

The book will be unveiled during a ceremony at the Seyyedoshohada Cultural Center today.

Behzad Parvin-Qods created 150 graphic designs by the Pointillism technique featuring Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in different stages of his life in the book, which was released by Shahed Publications.

The center, which is affiliated with Tehran’s Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, is located on Southern Moffateh St., off Haft-e Tir Sq.

Hyderabad museum to display Persian calligraphy works on Prophet Muhammad (S)

TEHRAN – A collection of calligraphy works created by Iranian artists on the theme of Prophet Muhammad (S) will go on display during an exhibition from January 4 to 9 at the Salarjung Museum in Hyderabad, India.

A total of 52 works featuring verses of the Holy Quran as well as hadiths by Prophet Muhammad (S) will go on display during the exhibition, which will be held by Iran’s consulate in Hyderabad.

The exhibition will begin on January 4, the date Sunni Muslims observe as the birthday anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (S) and will close on January 9, the date Shia Muslims celebrate birthday anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (S) in Arab calendar.

Fajr filmfest announces lineup for competition section

TEHRAN – The 33rd Fajr Film Festival announces the film lineup for the main competition section of the gala.

Twenty four Iranian movies will compete in this section of the festival.

“Sweet Taste of Dream” by Kamal Tabrizi, “I am Diego Maradona” by Bahram Tavakkoli, “The Fish’s Death” by Ruhollah Hejazi and “The Long Goodbye” by Farzad Motamen are among the lineup.

The 33rd Fajr Film Festival will be held in Tehran from February 1 to 11.

Raphael Minaskanian to perform piano recital at Rudaki Hall

TEHRAN – The prominent Iranian pianist Raphael Minaskanian will perform a recital of classical pieces at Tehran’s Rudaki Hall on January 9.

He will perform music by Mozart, Robert Schumann and Béla Bartók during the concert.

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Shahnameh stories simplified for children

January 3, 2015, 12:58 pm

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TEHRAN – A collection of 100 stories from the Shahnameh, the epic masterpiece of Persian poet Ferdowsi, have been simplified for children.

The collection, which has been rewritten by Jamaleddin Akrami and Mohammadreza Yusefi, will be unveiled during a ceremony at the Iranian Artists Forum on January 22.

The collection was illustrated by a team of 48 artists.

Copies of the illustrations are scheduled to go on display in two different galleries of the forum, Akrami told the Persian service of MNA on Saturday.

Most of the stories center on the mythical heroes in the Shahnameh because they enjoy good structures, Yusefi had earlier said.

The collection has been published by Khaneh Adabiyat Publications.

Ferdowsi is famous for his Shahnameh, which has remained one of the most popular works in the Persian-speaking world for nearly 1000 years.

Completed in 1010, the Shahnameh is a poem of nearly 60,000 verses. Ferdowsi versified and updated the story of Iran to the downfall of the Sassanid Empire (mid-7th century).

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Iranian center in New Delhi to host Intl. Quran Competition

January 3, 2015, 12:58 pm

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TEHRAN – The Cultural Center of Iran in New Delhi will host the 15th edition of the International Quran Competition beginning on Monday.

A total of 183 participants from different Indian states will attend the two sections of recitation and memorization, Iranian cultural attaché in India Ali Fuladi said in a press release on Friday.

A panel of juries including two Iranians and three Indians will judge the three-day competition, he said.

The cultural attaché added that the first place winner in each of the two sections will be invited to attend the International Quran Competition to be held in Tehran in spring.

He also said that a number of Indian cultural and religious figures are expected to attend the program.

He added that one of the major policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran is to promote the culture of Quran inside and outside the country, he concluded.

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Azerbaijan’s Alim Qasimov, daughter to perform with Tehran Wind Orchestra

January 3, 2015, 1:00 pm

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TEHRAN -- The renowned Azerbaijani vocalist, Alim Qasimov, and his daughter Fargana Qasimova will join the Tehran Wind Orchestra to perform concerts at Vahdat Hall on January 11 and 12.

“Most Azeri popular songs will be performed during the concerts, which will be conducted by Javid Majlesi,” Tehran Wind Orchestra director Sina Zokaii said in a press release on Saturday.

“The orchestra has been rehearsing over the past few weeks and it is ready to give its best performance during the concerts,” he added.

Fargana, who is a vocalist, has accompanied Qasimov in most of his concerts.

He gave a concert at the Milad Hall of the Tehran International Permanent Fairgrounds in May 2014. He also performed concerts in Ardebil, Tabriz and Urmia, Iran’s major Azeri-speaking cities after the program.

In addition, Qasimov along with a number of Iranian musicians, including vocalist Mohammad Motamedi and kamancheh virtuoso Sina Jahanabadi, performed a joint concert at the 49th International Festival of Carthage in Tunis in August 2013.

In 1999, Qasimov, 58, was awarded the International Music Council-UNESCO Music Prize, one of the highest international accolades for music.

He has performed at many international events in the Netherlands, Japan, China, Canada, Italy, the U.S. and many other countries.

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What’s in art galleries

January 3, 2015, 12:50 pm

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