5/15/06
World Ferdowsi Day commemorated
Tehran, May 15, IRNA-An Iranian official, on the occasion of
today's observance of World Ferdowsi Day, expressed appreciation for the
initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) of designating May 15 as World Ferdowsi Day and for
enshrining cultural and historical events.
In a message faxed to Iran Daily on Sunday, Mahmoud Mohammadi-
Araqi, head of the Culture and Islamic Communications Organization, pointed to
the Shah-Nameh as the most credible document on the cultural and historical
identity of Iranians.
"The book has managed to protect Persian culture and
literature over the centuries against numerous foreign invasions," the message
noted.
The great Persian poet penned his global masterpiece
Shah-Nameh (Book of Kings) over 1,000 years ago.
The book, one of the most outstanding works of Persian
literature, contains 60,000 couplets, mostly Persian legends.
It took Ferdowsi some 30 years to write the book in pure
Persian language, avoiding Arabic words as much as possible.
Shah-Nameh was completed around 989 or 990 AD.
... Payvand News - 5/15/06 ... --
