Vienna to unveil statues of Iranian scientists
The Austrian capital is set to unveil a pavilion featuring the statues of four prominent Iranian figures in front of the United Nations Office. Highlighting the Iranian architectural features, the pavilion is adorned with Persian art forms and includes the statues of renowned Iranian scientists Avicenna, Abu Rayhan Birouni, Zakariya Razi (Rhazes) and Omar Khayyam. - 6/10/09
Iranian Academy of Arts to hold seminar on Qajar films next year
Iranian Academy of Arts is to hold a seminar on Qajar films (1794-1925) in the coming year. Filmmakers and experts will speak about the Qajar films in the main section, while an exhibition of photos about the Qajar films will be set up on the sideline of the seminar. - 6/7/09
Italy's IsIAO seeking new methods for restoration of Persepolis
The Italian Institute for Africa and Orient (IsIAO) is currently carrying out a series of comprehensive studies to find new methods for restoration projects at Iran's most important, ancient site, Persepolis. The research project is based on a contract signed between IsIAO and Iran's Parsa and Pasargadae Foundation - 6/1/09
Supreme Court Case can Decide Fate of Persepolis Tablets
As the U.S. District Court decides the fate of thousands of historic Persian artifacts, the U.S. Supreme Court will soon determine whether U.S. citizens can sue the newly formed Republic of Iraq for the misdeeds of the former Saddam Hussein regime. -NIAC - 5/29/09
Historical Photos: 23 May 1981 , Khorramshahr Liberation Day
On May 24, 1982, Iranian forces entered Khorramshahr and ended the occupation by Iraqi forces. The commander of the Iraqi forces in the city, Colonel Ahmad Zeidan, attempted to flee but was trapped in a minefield which was set up on his orders and killed when he stepped on a mine. - 5/23/09
Bam: Five Years After
On December 26, 2003, an earthquake killed 32,000 people, flattened 70% of Bam's buildings and equally devastated the nearby town of Baravat and 260 area villages. Bam Citadel (or Arg-e-Bam) was reduced from a stunning byzantine garrison, visited by more than 100,000 people yearly, to a canyon of pulverized rubble not much different than the other treeless, rock-strewn mountains that delineate the central Iranian plateau from the southern desert. -Ramin Mazaheri - 5/22/09
Photos: Ferdowsi Day Celebrations in Tous, Iran
Iranians across the country have celebrated the national day of the highly revered Iranian epic poet Ferdowsi on May 15. Also, a special program was held at the tomb of Ferdowsi in the city of Tous. - 5/16/09
The visionary shah who inspired an Islamic republic
Shah Abbas I, the fifth Safavid ruler, came to power in 1587. Under his rule Iran became a great political power, transforming international trade and diplomacy. His legacy, however, goes beyond political ambition and culminates in a clear and decisive vision for cultural and artistic expression and development. -Elaheh Rostami-Povey, Guardian - 5/14/09
Iran attempts to maintain 4 salt mummies
Iran's four saltmen, unique salt mummies, have found a new resting place is one of the most advanced display cases in the world. The vacuum chamber in Zanjan can precisely control humidity and airflow and is provided with a nitrogen-rich mixture deadly to known bacteria and mold. - 5/11/09
Iran to celebrate Ferdowsi Day on May 15
Various programs including congresses, seminars and meetings are organized across the country to commemorate the name of the great epic poet Ferdowsi. The cities of Mashhad, Semnan in northern Iran and capital Tehran are preparing for programs as the national day of Ferdowsi approaches on May 15. - 5/11/09
Bust of Ferdowsi now graces University of Oxford
The bust of Ferdowsi was unveiled at the University of Oxford Friday on the occasion of the Shahnameh millennium. - 5/9/09
Chicago University's Oriental Institute Digitalizing Persepolis tablets
The tablets, which were loaned to Chicago University to be studied in 1937, were discovered by the university's archeology team in 1933. "They were written, sealed and filed in a short span of time, between 509 and 493 BCE, in the middle of the reign of the Achaemenid Persian king Darius I," said director of the Oriental Institute Gil Stein. - 5/6/09
Update on NIAC’s Efforts to Preserve Persian Artifacts
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division earlier this month heard NIAC's motion to file a brief Amicus Curiae in conjunction with the Rubin v. Islamic Republic of Iran v. University of Chicago lawsuit. - 5/5/09
Iran Heritage, Persian Gulf, and Iran Alliance 2009 Scholarship and Merit Awards
The selection committee and board members are pleased to announce the 2009 recipients of Scholarship and Merit Awards. Some of the criteria used to evaluate individuals were: (a) difficulty of the tasks, (b) length of time devoted to the community, and (c) their innovative ideas to help the Iranian community. - 5/5/09
150-year anniversary of translation of Khayyam's Rubaiyat by Fitz Gerald
Year 2009 marks both the 200-year anniversary of birthday of Edward Fitz Gerald and the 150-year anniversary of the first translation of Khayyam's poetry by him. Hakim Omar Khayyam, born in 1048 in Neyshapur, then capital of Seljuk Dynasty, in modern day Khorasan, was famous as a mathematician during his own life time, nearly a thousand years before he became a famous poet in the West through the hands of Fitz Gerald. -A. J. Cave - 5/4/09
Year of Iran Exhibitions at Smithsonian
The Year of Iran will continue with two exhibitions at the Freer and Sackler Galleries, "The Tsars and the East: Gifts from Turkey and Iran in The Moscow Kremlin," May 9-Sept. 13, and "Falnama: The Book of Omens," Oct. 24, 2009, to Jan. 24, 2010 - 5/4/09
Nowruz Resolution Continues to Gain Traction
This week six additional members of Congress have become cosponsors of H.Res.267, bringing the total number of cosponsors to 38. Sponsored by Congressman Michael Honda (D-15th/CA), H. Res. 267 is the first measure ever introduced into the United States Congress that recognizes the cultural and historical significance of the Iranian New Year. - 5/3/09
Iranians send Persian Gulf petition to Obama
Iranians have launched an online petition to urge the US President Barack Obama to respect the Iranian identity of the Persian Gulf. The petition is a public reaction to an Obama speech on March 27 in which he referred to the Persian Gulf as 'Gulf'. - 5/1/09
Games or no games, Persian Gulf is its eternal name
Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami stated on Wednesday that the name of the Persian Gulf can never be changed. "The Persian Gulf's name has been deeply ingrained in the culture of every Iranian and is unalterable," he said on the sidelines of the seminar on the Persian Gulf. - 4/30/09
Recollections of Iran: The Forgotten Glory
After I got hold of the DVD called Iran: The Forgotten Glory, I looked forward to the onscreen appearance of its contents. I had witnessed the degree to which our own school system seemed to "forget" about the contributions of the ancient Persian civilization. -Sue Cheherenegar - 4/30/09
NIAC protests US military’s use of the incorrect term “Arabian Gulf”
In his April 1 testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, America's commander of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan used the politically divisive term "Arabian Gulf" several times. - 4/24/09
Archaeologists planning for Iran's largest rescue excavation at Seimareh Dam reservoir
The Iranian Center for Archaeological Research (ICAR) is currently planning a rescue excavation project at the Seimareh Dam reservoir area in western Iran's Ilam Province. - 4/19/09
Nowruz: The Iranian New Year has truly gone GLOBAL
By all accounts the number of special events commemorating Nowruz has proliferated worldwide in the past decade. Credit, by and large, +goes to the persistent 75 million Iranians in Iran and their transplanted counterparts now residing in every corner of the world, who have persevered to preserve their cultural heritage by adhering to their New Year's rituals. -Davood N. Rahni - 4/18/09
Photos: Bushehr's Malek Edifice Neglected
Malek is a historical building that is one century old. The attractive edifice, situated in the central part of the city of Bushehr, is among the tourist attractions of Bushehr province. It originally belonged to a wealthy resident of Bushehr called Mohammad Mehdi Malek-ul-Tojjar. During his visit to France, he saw the palace of one of the medieval ministers and modeled Malek Edifice after that palace. - 4/17/09
An American Hero in Iran
On a windswept plateau near the foothills of the Sahand Mountains in northern Iran stands the grave of a martyr. --- One hundred years ago, Howard Baskerville 1907 left Princeton and fought for liberty in Persia - 4/16/09
Photos: The house of the constitutional revolution in Tabriz
Khaneh Mashrutiyat (The house of the constitutional revolution), located in Tabriz, is a museum dedicated to the constitutional revolution of Iran. The establishment of a constitutional regime in Persia was the chief objective of the Revolution of 1323-29/1905-11. Like any other major revolution, the Constitutional Revolution in Persia encompassed a broad spectrum of ideas and objectives, reflecting diverse intellectual trends, social backgrounds, and political demands. -Photos by Navid Jadidoleslam, ISNA - 4/15/09
Iran, Portugal agree to restore the Portuguese castles
Iran and Portugal have come to an agreement in the restoration of southern Iran's Portuguese castles. The Portuguese castles were constructed in southern Iran after the Portuguese viceroy Alfonso de Albuquerque attacked Hormoz Island in the Persian Gulf in 1507. - 4/15/09
Photos: Tabriz Municipality Museum
Sa'at Tower (clock tower) or Tabriz City Hall was built in 1934 by Arfa'ol molk, with the aid of German engineers. Since 2007 it is used as Municipality Museum. Tabriz, the capital city of Iran's East Azerbaijan province, sits at altitude of 1,350 meters above sea level at the junction of the Ghuri Chay and Aji Chay rivers. -Photos by Navid Jadidoleslam, ISNA - 4/11/09
Iran studies 13,000 years of living
Iranian archeologists are joined by German and Polish colleagues to describe 13,000 years in northern Iran from cave-dwelling to urbanism. -Press TV - 4/9/09
Smugglers rush to plunder Ramhormoz ancient sites
Adding insult to injury, illegal excavations by smugglers have become another of the many factors posing threats to the ancient sites of Ramhormoz in Iran's southern province of Khuzestan. -MNA - 4/8/09
Photos: Historic town of Loft in Iranian island of Qeshm in Perain Gulf
Historic Town of Loft is located in Iranian island of Qeshm. Qeshm is an island situated in the Strait of Hormuz off the south coast of Iran and east of the Persian Gulf. Qeshm Island is located a few kilometers off the southern coast of Iran, opposite the port cities of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Khamir. Photos by Rooholla Vahdari, ISNA - 4/6/09
First Iranian National Anthem (1868? - 1933)
Salamati-ye Shah was the first national anthem of Persia (Iran). It was used from the time of Mozzafar al-Din Shah Qajar until 1933. It was replaced by Sorood-e Shahanshahi Iran, which praised the Pahlavis. - 4/6/09
Welcoming Spring, Persian Style
Patrons of the Philadelphia Museum of Art recently had a chance to enjoy a taste of Persian culture to mark the Persian New Year, or Nowruz. The all-day "Celebrate Norooz" festival March 8, hosted in cooperation with the Persian community of the greater Philadelphia area, is in its fourth year at the museum. -America.gov - 4/1/09
Achaemenid palaces found in south Iran
Iranian archeologists have unearthed two 2,500 -year-old palaces and 18 columns belonging to the Achaemenid era in southern Iran. - 3/31/09
Isfahan: Iran's Hidden Jewel
Once the dazzling capital of ancient Persia, Isfahan fell victim to neglect, but a new generation hopes to restore its lost luster -Smithsonian magazine - 3/27/09
Photos: Norooz travelers visit historic Taq-e Bostan in Kermanshah
Taq-e Bostan is a series of large rock relief from the era of Sassanid Empire of Persia, the Iranian dynasty which ruled western Asia from 226 to 650 AD. This example of Sassanid art is located 5 km from the city center of Kermanshah in western Iran. It is located in the heart of the Zagros mountains, where it has endured almost 1,700 years of wind and rain. -Photos by Abdollah Moradi , ISNA - 3/24/09
Museum exhibition: "Caravan across Persia: An Archaeological Tour of Iran"
The University Museum at San Francisco State University (SFSU) is proud to present a new exhibition "Caravan across Persia: An Archaeological Tour of Iran." This new series of museum exhibitions create unexpected connections between ancient civilizations and the modern era. Ancient and medieval ceramics from Persia are juxtaposed with historical photographs of Iran in the 1930s, made by renowned German photographer Axel von Graefe. - 3/24/09
Documentary Film "IRAN, The Forgotten Glory" released: Persian Culture and Identity Revealed
Coinciding with the arrival of the Persian New year, the much anticipated historical documentary film "IRAN the forgotten glory" directed by Makan Karandish and produced by Mystic Films Intl. was released this week in Los Angeles, California in 2 DVD's in the languages of Persian, English, and Spanish. - 3/24/09
The Northernmost Zoroastrian Fire Temple in the World
The Caucasus is a land of diverse population and beliefs. Today, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Yazidis live in cities and villages in the valleys and gorges of the region. One religion that had a strong impact on ancient Armenia, Georgia, and the Republic of Azerbijan was Zoroastrianism. -Sasanika - 3/23/09
Photos: The biggest Haftseen is spread in Sirjan, Iran
A grand haftseen was setup in Sirjan, Iran's Kerman province, in celebration of the Norouz, the Iranian New Year. A major part of the New Year rituals is setting a special table with seven specific items present, Haft Sin (Haft chin, seven crops before Islam). -Photos by Amin Arjmand, ISNA - 3/21/09
From Azerbaijan To India, Spring Festival Norouz Begins
Across much of the non-Arab Muslim world, people are celebrating Norouz, the festival that marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year. - 3/21/09
Nowruz: A New Day for Humanity
In recent centuries, as the vast Iranian Empire gave way to the modern country of Iran, this ancient festival of spring has spread its branches over the neighboring countries, and increasingly all over the world. It still invites us to look beyond human time and history at nature itself as it blossoms in beautiful new colors in search of secrets of renewal and rejuvenation. -Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak - 3/20/09
Happy Nowruz and New Year
The oldest Iranian tradition, Nowruz recalls the cosmological and mythological times of Iran. According to the ancient myths, its founder is a deputy of Ahura Mazda (Almighty God) on earth, a position that imparts to him and the celebration a spiritual dimension and a particular sense of secular authority. - 3/20/09
I am Kurush - part two
Second Isaiah's prophecy that the divine action to release the Judean exilic community in Babylon from bondage was to be through the human hands of the 'Persian Cyrus' must have come as a surprise to Judeans. This 'Cyrus', the mythic figure of the Holy Bible, was no other than the historical King Kuruš II [559-530 BCE], namesake of his grandfather, King Kuruš I. Kuruš was given the epithet of 'Great' by the Romans of the Roman Empire centuries later and became known throughout the history of the world as the Latinized 'Cyrus the Great'. -A. J. Cave - 3/19/09
Norouz, glorious Iranian spring festival
Noruz is the most glorious of Iran's national spring festivities and dates back to the beginning of Persian history from time immemorial. Both foreign and domestic historians admit they do not know precisely when nor how the festival of Noruz emerged in ancient Persia and have expressed divergent opinions concerning the festival's historical background. -Ali Asghar Pahlavan, MNA - 3/19/09
In Search of the Haft Sin
My search for the meaning behind the haft sin table started years ago when I asked myself a simple question: If haft sin refers to "haft" (the number seven), and "sin" (the Persian letter "S") why are there more than seven items on the table and why don't many of their names start with "S?" What is the extra stuff? -Farhad Mohit - 3/19/09
Nowruz Resolution to be Introduced in Congress this Week
Congressman Michael M. Honda plans to introduce a bipartisan resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, March 19, 2009 in observance of the Iranian New Year. To date, original cosponsors include Representatives Keith Ellison, Bob Filner, Raul Grijalva, Dennis Kucinich, Carolyn Maloney, James Moran, Linda Sanchez, Henry Waxman, and Frank Wolf. -PAAIA - 3/18/09
Iranians Celebrate Chahar-Shanbeh Soori Festival
Tonight the Iranian people will celebrate the ancient festival of fire or Chahar-Shanbeh Soori in all Iranian cities. Chahar-Shanbeh Soori, literally means 'Red Wednesday', is an ancient festival, dating back to 4000 years ago since the early Zoroastrian era, which is still celebrated the night before the last Wednesday of the year. - 3/17/09
Norouz Family Weekend at the British Museum 21-22 March 2009
Come to a weekend of free family activities inspired by Norouz, the Persian New Year, and find out more about this ancient festival in the prestigious setting of the Great Court at the British Museum. Celebrate the Persian New Year through a series of events sponsored by the London-based charity Magic of Persia. - 3/17/09
Norouz, the (Iranians) New Year and the Haft-Sin Symbolism
Norouz, the vernal spring equinox has been celebrated by people of Iran and Mesopotamia since antiquity. Although continuously celebrated in Iran for at least three thousand years, Norouz is currently commemorated by several hundred million diverse peoples spanning from northwest china, India and central Asian republics, IRAN, the Caucuses, Turkey and Eastern Europe, Iraq and westward to Egypt. -Davood Rahni - 3/17/09
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