National library honors scholar Sirus Parham

TEHRAN -- The National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) has honored Iranian scholar and translator Sirus Parham, who is mostly known for writing and editing works on Persian art and literature.

 

A large number of scholars and literati came together in a meeting at National Library and Archives of Iran (NLAI) in Tehran on Thursday evening in recognition of Parham’s efforts in cofounding the National Archives of Iran, which later became the NLAI.

 

“If we want to enjoy a cultural freshness and vitality, we should care about our origins,” NLAI Director Seyyed Reza Amiri-Salehi said during meeting.

 

He called Parham one of the ‘origins’ of the NLAI and said, “Let us learn not to forget our origins.”

 

“The cultural Iran is the precious capital of Iran and the creators of this culture are people like master Parham,” he added.

 

“Master Parham laid the corner stone for the NLAI wherein is the national and historical memory of Iran, and the Iranian people should safeguard this memory,” he stated.

 

Amiri-Salehi said that the NLAI plans to name one of its major halls after Parham.

 

In his short speech, Parham thanked the organizers of the meeting and said, “I feel honor for the memorabilia I have left for my country and people.”

 

Several scholars also delivered short speeches at the meeting.

 

Translator Hormoz Homayunpur praised Parham for his contribution to editing and his key role in founding the NLAI. 

 

Writer Iraj Parsinejad described Parham as “a pioneer of literary criticism in Iran, who gave meaning to analytical criticism in contemporary Persian literature by writing the book ‘Realism against Realism in Literature’.”

 

Parham is the editor of Persian versions of U.S. scholar Arthur Upham Pope’s “Masterpieces of Persian Art”, “Introducing Persian Architecture” and “An Introduction to Persian Art Since the Seventh Century A.D.”, all of which were translated by Najaf Daryabandari. 

 

He has also translated two anthologies by the American poet Walt Whitman. 

 

Parham has also written several books on traditional Iranian arts, including “The Nomad and Rural Hand-Woven Works in Fars Region”.