Some 21 countries are participating in the international section of Holy Qur'an exhibition.

TEHRAN, Oct. 10--The 13th International Holy Qur’an Exhibition began here on Monday at Imam Khomeini Mosalla (grand prayers grounds) with the participation of 21 countries.
Speaking to reporters, director of the exhibit, Mohammad Ali Shoaei said that this year’s event has been more enthusiastically received than the earlier rounds of the event.
He hoped that the trend will continue in future.
According to the Persian daily Iran, the exhibit is open to public from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. It will be closed from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to enable participants and visitors to have Iftar (breaking fast at dusk). On the nights of the Qadr, when the holy Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the exhibit will be open until 12:00 midnight.
Some 21 countries are participating in the international section while some 25 figures, who have conducted studies in relevant fields, will attend the exhibit.
Meanwhile Iranian cultural centers abroad will hold exhibits-cum-sales of Qur’anic products in 19 countries.
A number of Qur’an reciters will visit those countries to help organize the events.
The Fourth International Seminar on the Holy Qur’an titled ’Justice in Qur’an’ attended by foreign and domestic personalities will open on October 16.
Also on the agenda, provincial exhibits on the holy Qur’an, which include 114 expositions, are underway in provincial cities concurrent with the event in Tehran.
Holding exhibits on traditional arts, Qur’anic calligraphy, presenting books focusing on the Qur’an, commemorating those who help promote the Qur’an and organizing 30 meetings on Qur’an are among the sections of the event.

An aerial view of Sivand Dam and surrounding areas.

TEHRAN, Oct. 9--The plan to afforest the area around Sivand Dam to reduce the level of humidity at the historical site of Sivand has raised concern among environmentalists who believe that plantation around the dam will increase humidity rather than decrease it, reported CHN.
Ministry of Energy, which is implementing the project contended that it is possible to reduce the level of humidity through aforestation.
An expert on forest affairs, Kazem Nosrati said that trees increase the humidity of the surroundings and they contribute to increasing the amount of rainfall.
“Experts discount that the level of humidity in an area, which has a body of water, can be reduced by planting trees.“
An environment expert said that presumably those implementing the Sivand Dam project have offered to plant trees to reduce humidity of the soil around the dam.
Experts believe that usually water from dams seeps into nearby lands turning them into marshlands. The soil and land in the area loses its strength thus exposing the cultural heritage sites in the area to destruction.
“Aforestation may lead to the absorption of humidity by the trees. However this evaporates into the air thus doubling the level of humidity. So, extensive humidity will pose greater threats to historical monuments,“ he added. Nosrati said that plantation of trees may be effective in reducing humidity in the initial stage, but, when the trees grow, they will contribute to humidity as well. “Forests attract clouds which are followed by rain. This has a destructive effect on cultural heritage edifices,“ he noted.
Head of Pars-e Pasargad Research Foundation, Mohammad Hassan Talebian said that humidity at the Sivand Dam reservoir is the number one threat to Pasargad historical monuments and the rise in the level of humidity in historical sites will have impacts on the maintenance of Pasargad.
There are natural forests around Sivand Dam. Filling of the dam with water will destroy these forests and the executives of Sivand Dam should pay reparations for destroying the forests.
He said that the water seeping into nearby land will lead to the degradation of soil in the area.
Experts believe that accurate studies of climatic conditions have not been carried out before undertaking the project to construct Sivand Dam.
Talebian said that one way to limit the damages to Pasargad cultural heritage site is to install humidity measuring devices in the area while coordinating the water level at the dam with acceptable humidity.
So, while filling up the dam, the level of the water should not exceed the optimum level to keep humidity in the area in line with the standard.
Environment experts do not see Talebian’s proposal as effective in limiting the harmful effects of humidity on Pasargad and believe that reduction in the water level of the dam will not be effective.
Talebian said he will welcome expert views to ensure that humidity of the dam will not endanger Parsargad.

Shahin Farhat

TEHRAN, Oct. 10--Iranian composer Shahin Farhat has completed his latest composition ’Symphony of Iran’, ISNA said.
Farhat is well-known for his glorious works: ’Symphony of Imam Reza (AS)’, ’Symphony of Persian Gulf’, ’Symphony of Damavand’ and ’Symphony of Iranian Lady’.
Damavand, a mountain to the northeast of Tehran, is a symbol of national dignity and steadfastness.
“I composed Symphony of Iran on an order placed by the Academy of Art. I’ve worked on it since March and only managed to finish it recently. It is a complete symphony lasting 40 minutes. It has four parts and is based on a distinctive theme,“ Farhat said.
The first and second episodes of the symphony follow high tone and are emotional. The third episode is slow and the fourth part signifies victory.
“It has numerous ups and downs just like Iranian history and this is conveyed in an abstract manner,“ Farhat said.
He disclosed that he has asked conductor Ali Rahbari to conduct the symphony with Tehran Symphony Orchestra and he has accepted it.
“If it is not possible for Tehran Symphony Orchestra to perform ’Symphony of Iran’, I will ask Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra to perform it,“ he concluded.

TEHRAN, Oct. 10--A ceremony to honor the Iranian poet and translator, Ahmad Nourizadeh and to release his recent books was held at the Center for Armenian Writers in Yerevan.
Head of the Center for Armenian Writers Leon Ananian spoke at the ceremony, reported Fars news agency on Sunday quoting Islamic Culture and Communications Organization.
In his speech, Ananian referred to the historical and cultural ties between the two nations and described Nourizadeh as among the evident manifestations of bilateral friendship.
“Few countries can boast of such a personality who has made every endeavor to promote Armenian culture, literature and civilization,“ he stated.
Addressing the same gathering, Iran’s cultural attachŽ in Armenia, Reza Atoufi thanked the center for holding the ceremony, describing it as an indication of the high-level bilateral relations in all fields, particularly in the cultural sector.
Pointing to the two countries’ great cultural heritage and capabilities, he also said that great world civilizations have been influenced by the Iranian and Armenian cultures and civilizations.
At the ceremony, a number of writers and poets also discussed the literary status of Nourizadeh and significance of his works in promoting Armenian literature among Iranians.

TEHRAN, Oct 10--The play ’Blind Owl’ based on a novel by the same name by contemporary Iranian writer Sadeq Hedayat went on stage in London on Saturday, reported IRNA.
The play is directed by Niloufar Beizaei, a German-based Iranian stage director, who will also perform the play at Rudolf Steiner Amphitheater for eight days in Germany.
Earlier, she directed the drama in several German cities last year.
She said that she believes that the theme of Blind Owl, is in fact, the concerns of modern human being. It represents anyone who is engaged in the current critical deadlock and the social dilemma, she observed.
Critics believe that bringing the drama to stage is very difficult given the complicated inner conflicts of human beings and interaction between dream and reality.
Beizaei took the risk of performing the difficult drama and did the job successfully. The most exciting moments of the drama appear in the beginning and at the end of the play.
Actors Manouchehr Ravin, Hermin Eshqi, and Farhang Kasraei demonstrated great talent in performing the drama.
Beizaei said that ’Blind Owl’ is a mixture of illusion and reality. “If human beings realized how the blind owl managed to establish relationship with life and reality, it would be easy to bring it on stage,“ she noted.
Many directors have acknowledged the difficulty in bringing ’Blind Owl’ to stage.

TEHRAN, Oct. 10--A conference on ’Iranian Mythology and Children’s Literature’ will be held concurrent with the second exhibition titled ’Iranian Studies’, which is slated for December.
According to a press release by the Public Relations Department of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA), the conference, which aims to introduce Iranian culture and civilization to children and young adults, will focus on the characteristics of Iranian mythology from cosmological and anthropological perspectives, ethnic features of Iranian mythology. The gathering also seeks to compare them with similar traits from other ancient civilizations as well as review the literary features of Iranian mythology with a special emphasis on story writing.
Mythology and their prevalence in classical narrative literature as well as in folklores and the need to use myths in books for children and young adults are among other subjects to be discussed in the event.
Those keen on taking part in the event should submit their papers no later than November 21.
Sections of the conference include ancient, Islamic and contemporary mythology.