International section of the ongoing 15th International Holy Qur’an Exhibition, which was included in the event on September 22, features works from 19 countries.
The section includes two subsections featuring artworks and research on the holy Qur’an.
Some nine researchers, two of them Christians, are participating in the section to exchange views with Iranian scholars. Researchers from Sudan, Turkey, Romania, Georgia, Britain, Bangladesh, Russia and India have so far visited Sciences and Tradition University, Religions Affinity University in Qom.
Director of the exhibition division of the event, Esmaeil Naderbaba said that some 18 artists from 14 countries including Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Oman, Lebanon and China are taking part in the exhibition section.
Commenting on the works on display, he said that 14 pages out of 167-page Qur’an engraved on gold sheets, which is maintained at Pushkin Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia have been brought to the exhibit. A Georgian artist has put a copy of the Qur’an written in Georgian script on display. Some 500 different names of the holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) designed by a Kuwaiti artist are also on show, Naderbaba noted.
A calligrapher from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Meliha Teparic, told Iran Daily, “Since I am interested in participating in Qur’anic exhibits, I accepted the invitation of the Iranian ambassador to my country and now I have put on display 14 works featuring God’s names and Qur’anic verses in Kufi script.“
According to him, the event is the largest and most glorious Qur’anic exhibit he has seen so far.
Another Muslim artist from China said that he has displayed some 40 works in the field of painting, enameling, ceramics, embroidery and decorating Qur’anic verses with gold.

A scene from ÔJesusÕ directed by Nader Talebzadeh

Director of the film ’Jesus’ said it narrates the story of the Jesus Christ (AS) from the perspective of the holy Qur’an.
Speaking to Fars news agency, Nader Talebzadeh further said in the film Prophet Jesus proclaims the coming of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to show the Christian audience how Islam is close to them.
“When the Day of Judgment comes, the Christians will realize that Islam is the only way to salvation of mankind and it will be presented to them by Christ the Redeemer,“ he said.
The director noted that the film is made to revive the Gospel of Barnabas, since it focuses on 15 detailed sermons by Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Barnabas but distorted throughout history.
“We wanted to tell the Christians that many of the beliefs they cherish today are not that of Jesus’ but distorted verses,“ he said.
Commenting on overseas screening of the film, Talebzadeh said that since ’Jesus’ is a religious film it would have no chance of participating in festivals which are under the influence of Zionist circles. However, it has been screened in the Religion Today Film Festival in Italy.
“The film was well received at the Conference on Dialogue among Civilizations held in the Vatican, since it has romantic overtones and portrays a nice view of the apostles,“ he said.
Talebzadeh further said that the film’s audience is primarily Iranians, secondly Muslims and thirdly Christians and others.
The Gospel of Barnabas is a depiction of the life of Jesus by his disciple Barnabas and in some respects it conforms to the Islamic interpretation of the origin of Christianity.

Some 10 new offices were established in the same number of countries to introduce Iranian tourism attractions, reported IRNA.
Announcing this, deputy head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) for tourism affairs, Mohammad-Sharif Malekzadeh said that the offices were set up in Sweden, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Pakistan and five other countries. He further stated that in cooperation with the private sector, this number will reach 25 by March.
Describing the role of the offices in introducing the country’s tourism attractions as effective, he further stated that the offices were established as per a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the ICHHTO and the private sector.
Referring to an agreement between Iran and some foreign countries in the field of tourism, Malekzadeh said that joint working committees have been formed with Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Syria to expedite the implementation of the deal.
Commenting on measures taken by the organization to promote the tourism industry, the official noted that invitation of the intellectuals and elites to visit the country and taking part in popular TV networks to feature Iranian tourism sites are among the most important steps taken by the institute in the field.
In line with this, some 51 scholars from 19 Islamic countries are scheduled to tour the country on November 10.

Archeological studies in Aliabad Katoul, Golestan province have led to the discovery of 110 archeological sites, a number of historical structures and mounds belonging to the prehistoric, historical and Islamic eras.
Announcing this, a member of the team of archeologists at Aliabad Katoul told CHN that the most ancient site dates back to the fourth millennium BC which is about 6,000 years ago.
Mohammad Mehdi Bohrani added that artifacts found in the site resemble cultural items which were discovered in Cheshme Ali, Tehran province.
Referring to the historical structures discovered in the city, he said, “All of them belong to the early Islamic era (the ninth century AH). They include four baths, a residential building, a bridge as well as a water mill.“
He added that experts plan to carry out studies on the city’s historical caves to pinpoint its exact history.
Bohrani further said that most of the unearthed sites are qualified for registration on the national heritage list and their cases are being drawn up concurrent with explorations.

Shahram Nazeri

The French government has presented Literature and Art Cavalier Badge, which is the country’s highest award in the field of art and culture, to noted Iranian singer Shahram Nazeri of traditional songs in recognition of his lifelong artistic activities, according to ISNA.
Nazeri held an impromptu performance in France to the accompaniment of Darioush Talaei and Navid Khavarzamini on the ’Tar’ (a traditional Iranian string instrument) and percussion instruments respectively.
While leaving for France, he said that he knows nothing about the performance since he wants to present a program which matches the mood of the audience in Paris.
Nazeri who has been given the title of ’Iranian Pavarotti’, further said that he was informed that he will receive the award in a ceremony attended by the chief advisor to the French president.
“Art and culture contribute to international peace more than anything else, as we see the cultural strata continue presentation despite disputes,“ he said, adding that cultural and artistic trend can play a positive role in promoting international peace, thus developing ties among nations.
Granting the Cavalier Award to Nazeri was approved a year ago because of his role in familiarizing European nations with oriental music and bringing about revolutionary changes in the field.
Nazeri was born to a Kurdish family in Kermanshah, Iran, in 1950. His family was deeply attached to music, which he took up at an early age.
He specializes in the rich tradition of Sufi music, which turns to song the mystical poem of Molana, Hafiz, Attar, three well-known Iranian poets. Before the world commemorated 2007 as the Year of Molana, Nazeri had written on one of his cassettes 25 year ago ’devoted to Molana’s eighth birth centenary’. Nazeri is also called ’the Persian nightingale’ and usually holds deeply expressive performances.

Emamzadeh Saleh Shrine, located in northern Tehran, attracts many pilgrims commensurate with its area, said ISNA.
Expressing this, director of the shrine, Rouh ul-Amin Esmaeili said that the complex is visited by 20,000 to 30,000 pilgrims daily with youth making up 60 percent of this figure. This is while least attention is paid to the maintenance of the shrine.
He further stated that the pilgrims to the shrine encounter problems such as traffic as well as environmental and social dilemmas.
One rial invested in this sacred places will save 100 rials in confronting social ills, he observed.
One of the major problems facing the shrine is shortage of washrooms which has led to a rise in the number of unnecessary trips to the site, he noted.
Commenting on the comprehensive plan to develop Emamzadeh Shrine, Esmaeili said that it has been drawn up and submitted to Tehran Municipality, District One, but no response has been received so far.
Based on the plan, some 16,000 square meters will be annexed to the current area of the shrine in three stages, he concluded.

A selection of stories by noted Iranian storywriter Mohammad Baharlou will be translated into the Norwegian language.
According to ISNA, the stories will be chosen from his two collections named ’Wind in Jib’ and ’Shahrzad, Tell Stories’.
Baharlou, who is currently in Sweden to deliver lectures, will also visit Germany and Holland to speak about Iranian literature.
Meanwhile, ’Nile Bride’, a novel by Baharlou will also be unveiled at the International Gutenberg Book Festival in Sweden.
According to him, a collection of stories by Ali Ashraf Darvishian titled ’Hot Stories’ as well as ’Paper House’ a series of stories by Pouran Farrokhzad were unveiled at the event.
Baharlou was born in Abadan, Khuzestan province, in 1955.
His other works include ’Kaleidar, Adventures of Finished Generation’ (a critique to ’Kaleidar’, a novel by Mahmoud Dolatabadi), ’Scorpion Years’, (a novel), ’Iranian Short Stories’ (a review and analysis of 23 stories by 23 contemporary writers) and ’Love and Death in Sadeq Hedayat’s Works’ (a critical work).