TEHRAN, Sept. 19--The Second Scientific Symposium on Tradition and Modernity sponsored by the Center for Dialogue Among Civilizations and Japan Foundation to review the social and historical developments in Iran and Japan was held here Wednesday.
According to Iran Daily correspondent, scholars and thinkers participating in the event delivered lectures on social and historical interactions between the two countries via the Silk Road from the seventh and eighth centuries to the present time.
Leading scholars from the two countries also discussed how traditional and cultural system can help promote political development, which includes democracy and economic growth.
Ways of preserving cultural and individual identity against Western modernization drive and how one can use this identity in a positive and instructive manner were also discussed in the event.
Japanese lecturers dwelt at length on the culture, status of women and thought in scientific and cultural fields in their country.
Senior reporter from the Bangkok bureau of the Japanese state broadcaster NHK elaborated on the role of Japanese women in the country's social and cultural issues and said that during World War II and prior to that the women did not have an independent identity and men were the only authority entitled to make decisions and the women had to obey them.
Miss Miki Ebara further pointed out that the role of women has not improved even after the war and male chauvinism is still prevalent. "When Japan reached the peak of its economic prosperity, a law was passed to guarantee equality between men and women came into force. In Japan, women were known as 'golden eggs'," she said.
However, she complained, in 1991 when the country experienced recession, those 'golden eggs' no longer were employed.
Criticizing the mass media for not reflecting the women's problems explicitly, she also noted that unfortunately, the problems facing women in the Middle East are not widely covered by the media.
Another speaker, an instructor of Tehran University, Fatemeh Sadeqi, also spoke of the gender and cultural traditions and pointed out that that cultural values in Islamic societies intertwined with modern values and one did not have a one-sided impact on the other.
The special representative of the Japan Foundation in Iran recalled that interactions between the two countries date back to the seventh and eighth centuries and currently continue in the context of dialogue among civilizations.
The proposal to hold the second scientific symposium was made by Japan Foundation in Iran, and the third round of event titled 'Development and Identity' will be held in January.

TEHRAN, Sept. 19--Archeologists engaged in excavations in the historical site of Takht-e Soleiman in West Azarbaijan province have come across the remnants of a small ancient mosque. Announcing this, the manager of the Takht-e Soleiman project, Ebrahim Heydari told Mehr news agency on Saturday that the ancient mosque has four pillars and an extended niche for the prayer leader.
"The mosque was built in the post-Ilkhanid era. In other words, the mosque dates back to 700 to 750 years ago," he noted.
Heydari added that the architecture of the mosque is of high historical value.
"Takht-e Soleyman, which was known as Azargoshasb during the Sasanid era, is currently located to the northeast of Takab (in West Azarbaijan)," he added.
The official pointed out that Takht-e Soleiman is attributed to King Solomon. It includes different sections, including Takht-e Soleiman, Soleiman Prison and Takht-e Belqis.
The edifice was highly regarded during the Mongol's rule.
Takht-e Soleiman was registered as national heritage on July 6, 2003.

TEHRAN, Sept. 19--A pianist of Oriental Orchestra has called on the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance to be more liberal in issuing permits to hold concerts for music which does not go against Islamic teachings.
However, Saman Ehteshami told Fars news agency that his group had no problems in obtaining permission for performing concerts in Tehran's Vahdat Hall since the group worked under the supervision of Iranian Music Association.
"The orchestra performed its first concert in Vahdat Hall in 2002," he noted, adding, "Iranian Music Association has only helped us by publishing posters. Posters were printed three weeks before the performance."
He recalled that Oriental Orchestra was formed three years ago and initially few instruments, including piano, tambourine and Tonbak (an Iranian percussion musical instrument) were played by members of the group.
Commenting on the musical pieces performed by the Oriental Orchestra, Ehteshami pointed out that these pieces are neither Iranian nor classic. "We play both Arabic and eastern musical pieces," he added.

TEHRAN, Sept. 19--Dr. Jahangir Kazerouni, a specialist in microbiology and biochemistry and his wife Ferial Salahshour who has a masters in the maintenance of historical works have built up a small private collection of arts.
According to the Persian daily Etemad, the couple is fond of artistic works and believes that their interest in arts, rather than financial ability, provided them the incentive to develop an arts collection.
Kazerouni said that they are looking for a place to set up of museum to display the artworks they have collected in the past 40 years.
He said that the art works are cultural reserve and they don–t want to intern the 3,000 artworks they have collected. —We want to share the pleasure with art buffs. It will be an honor for us to see several thousand visitors to come to see the art works of our collection,š Salahshour said.
The collection has a series of needle-works and 116 vitreous paintings along with several other works by contemporary painters.
Salahshour said that the vitreous paintings were popular during the Qajar era, but the quality and technique of the vitreous paintings have undergone a dramatic progress compared with the 1960s.
She said that vitreous paintings have gone into oblivion in Iran adding that she and her husband have collected them from Qom and Borujerd and other cities during their occasional trips. —It would be very useful for the students of graphics. These are more useful than their textbooks,š he noted.
Salahshour said that sometimes they invite students to come and see the vitreous paintings adding, —The number of those who have seen the paintings are limited, because our home is small and there is no space to invite more students though we would like to do so.š
Elaborating on the incentives of herself and her husband to build up a private museum, she said that when Kazerouni was a student in France in the 1960s, Louver Museum of Paris had held an exhibit of 7,000-year Iranian arts.
This was the first time it had presented Iranian arts, she added. —Everyone came to see the exhibit. Kazerouni was amazed to see the glory of Iranian arts. He had got a sense of sanctity when he came out of Louver Museum.
—The French classmates visiting the exhibit showed a sense of high respect for him for being from such a great civilization.š
Salahshour said that they have paintings by Sohrab Sepehri and modern artists in their collection. —We have at least one painting by all Iranian contemporary painters,š she said.

TEHRAN, Sept. 19--An exhibition of photographs by Iranian artist Morteza Momayyez is currently underway here at Rah-e Abrisham Gallery and will continue for three weeks.
According to ISNA, the event features works produced by the photographer in the last half century. Momayyez is currently less active due to illness.
Some 35 photos are on display at the exhibit. All the photographs date back to 2001 when Momayyez used to take photos using slides.
A small number of his works is also on display in an exhibition held concurrently with Iran's Poster Biennial in recognition of the artist's 50-year efforts.
Momayyez did not focus on the technical aspects during his career but has confessed that his works were aimed to find new forms and combinations. According to same source, each photo carries a date, which signifies the artist's line of thought in different periods.
The photographer is scheduled to convey his experiences to the coming generations and clearly states his views.
Unlike literature and poetry on which many books have been published, in the filed of visual arts, there may exist only five or six works, Momayyez concluded.

TEHRAN, Sept. 19--Chairman of the International Union of the Marionette (UNIMA) Massimo Schuster said that Iran enjoys rich and bright records in puppet plays and hoped that the festivals being held annually would help promote marionette arts in Iran.
Schuster, who is visiting Iran to take part in the 10th International Festival of Marionette, said that his visit to Iran is aimed not only at becoming acquainted with Iranian puppet plays and culture but also communicating with local artists. —The festival provides a good opportunity for both the professionals and the amateurs to stage their own art,š he said.
He described the Iranian puppet play “A Hand Has Written Your Name on the Moon– staged on the second day of the international festival as “extraordinary– noting that it focused on the topic of “Tradition and Modernity– which would be welcomed internationally if performed in different parts of the world.
He said that the standard of the Iranian puppet plays (marionette) which are being staged in the festival is in line with that of the West.
Schuster said that puppet plays should also attract the elderly.
He said that performing marionette plays by one individual is very difficult since it needs high skill and concentration. —I will do my best to help remove the difficulties faced by the artists. I will listen to them and then I will offer them guidance,š he concluded.