Mahtab Karamati

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) goodwill ambassador in Iran, Mahtab Karamati and UNICEF’s representative in Iran, Christian Salazar held a news conference on Sunday to spell out the week-long programs to mark World Children’s Day on October 8.
According to ISNA, Karamati, who is an actress, felicitated Iranian children and those who seek to make them smile.
She hoped that the event would not be just a symbolic gesture but should aim to make childhood a memorable period for children.
For his part, Salazar said that the festival began with a seminar focusing on the UNICEF’s motto in 2007 ’Worthy World for Children, Violence-Free World’ in Qom.
“At the event, we urged religious figures to help us materialize the motto,“ he said, noting that it is not enough to simply hold a festival, rather practical measures should be taken to achieve that goal.
Referring to Iran’s useful but diverse experiences in preventing violence against children, he said that now the time is ripe for putting together the experiences into a national plan to protect children against acts of violence.
Meanwhile, Karamati announced that the plan to organize a one-week festival was discussed with UNICEF and an agreement was signed two months ago after they expressed their readiness.
Salazar said that violence against children is prevalent worldwide and no country can claim to be free from it.
According to ISNA, the films ’When All Were Asleep’ (directed by Fereydoun Hassanpour), ’Once Upon a Time’ (Iraj Tahmaseb), ’Golnar’ (Kapozia Partovi) and ’Bread and Poetry’ (Kiumars Pourahmad) will be screened along with the plays ’Moonlike’ (Azadeh Ansari), ’Insects Concert’ (Maryam Saadat) and ’Boy and Wolf’ (Mohammad Alami and Hedyeh Hashemi) during the one-week festival.

Bisotoun Caravansary, known as Shah Abbasi Caravansary, is one of the 15 monuments in the Bisotoun Complex, Kermanshah province, which was registered on the global heritage list last year at a UNESCO meeting in Lithuania.
The caravansary was built in an area of 6,000 square meters and is located along the main road connecting Iran and Iraq. Based on historical texts, the caravansary provided accommodation for pilgrims on their way to and from the holy shrines in Iraq, according to IRNA.
Although it is not known who built the original edifice, it is widely believed that the caravansary was constructed on the order of Shah Abbas Safavi with the help of Sheikh Alikhan Zanganeh, grand vizier in the court of Shah Soleiman Safavi (1666-1694 AD). During the Qajar period, a section of the edifice was damaged by an earthquake.
Based on an inscription above the gateway to the structure, the Caravansary was repaired during the reign of Nasereddin Shah of the Qajar dynasty. The caravansary was used as grain storage during the Pahlavi period.
After the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the historical monument was placed at the disposal of Prisons Department for 17 years.
Then, Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization repossessed it and conducted maintenance works on it. Shah Abbasi Caravansary was built in the form of rectangular-portico on a north-south axis. It matches Gaz and Mahyar caravansaries in Isfahan in terms of dimensions. Four round octagonal towers are located on the four corners of the monument, of which only one still stands today. The gateway to the caravansary is situated on the southern side. A cross-shaped and domed vestibule links the entrance and the inner sections and court.
After crossing the vestibule, a rectangular court is seen with verandas at each side of the caravansary.
Director of Bisotoun Archeological Station, Davoud Daneshian, referred to the ban on construction activities in the vicinity of historical monuments, and said that it necessary to use the existing facilities in the monument, despite the need for accommodation in the caravansary.
Speaking to IRNA, he further said that repair works on the monument began two years ago and the funds earmarked for the purpose is about three billion rials. Private investments are also required for the restoration of the monument, he noted.
Bisotoun, which is one of the cities of Harsin, is located 25 kilometers east of Kermanshah.

Fifth Imam Reza (AS) Artistic and Cultural Festival will be held from November 12-22 concurrent with the birth anniversary of Imam Reza (AS), the Eighth Imam of the infallible household of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), reported IRNA.
Speaking at the festival’s headquarters, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, a presidential advisor for press affairs said, “We must create conditions for the participation of all Muslims and devotees of the Imam in the event.“
He added that the festival contributes to better introducing the Imam’s status in the Islamic communities.
“Such events, which use the language of art and culture, explain the roles of infallible Imams, particularly that of Imam Reza (AS) in the society, particularly with respect to the youth,“ he said.
Javanfekr expressed hope that the teachings of Imam Reza (AS) will be publicized in Islamic societies and among all Muslims in the world.

Naqsh-e Rostam, Fars province

Plans are underway to once again review the adobe forts and the ramparts near Naqsh-e Rostam, Fars province, which were earlier explored.
Announcing this, director of Parse Pasargad Foundation, Mohammad Hassan Talebian told ISNA that the plan, approved by the Strategic Council, will seek to determine the shapes of the adobe structures.
According the plan for Naqsh-e Rostam, the road passing near the relic will be rerouted in order to keep a distance from the site.
All parking lots near the entrance will also be moved to a site allocated for Center for Welfare Services.
Based on a long-term plan, the ground of Naqsh-e Rostam will be excavated to access the main floor of the relic which is situated at the same level as that of Zoroastrian Kaaba.
If the project is implemented properly, the actual image and glory of the monument will be clarified, he said.
According to Talebian, the project should begin with a several-year research program and this needs a sponsor. “Since the funds made available to us are spent on the main sites such as Takht-e Jamshid (Persepolis), Pasargad, Estakhr city, Naqsh-e Rostam, we are obliged to seek sponsors for certain projects,“ he concluded.

Zanjan Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department plans to hold the first international seminar on archeology and pathology of saltmen with the participation of foreign archeologists and experts in late October.
According to CHN, director of the archeological excavation team studying the remains of saltmen, Abolfazl Aali said that the participation of seven experts from Britain, Germany and Austria at the three-day event has been finalized so far.
Conditions in which the saltmen are currently maintained in Rakhtshouikhaneh Museum are unsatisfactory and they are subject to gradual decomposition.
Archeology Research Center has suspended excavations in Chehrabad Salt Mine, Zanjan, due to lack of suitable maintenance methods. For this reason, no studies have been conducted at the site for the last two years, he noted.
Aali further said that an international call-up for articles was issued earlier to discuss the mechanism for maintaining the saltmen.
Maintaining mummified humans has been turned into a dilemma for archeologists as no reliable procedures for this have yet been agreed, he said.
So far a total of six saltmen from the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras have been identified in Chehrabad Mine.
Saltman No. One is currently on display at the National Museum while the others are maintained in Rakhtshouikhaneh Museum.

Director of the Entertainment Department of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA), said major changes will be made to the national dolls ’Dara’ and ’Sara’.
Majid Qaderi told IRNA that the dolls will be offered at lower prices and smaller size by March.
He added that a new series of games and jigsaw puzzles will also be available for children by next month.
“The jigsaw puzzles will be based on traditional designs with the aim of making children and young adults more familiar with Iranian culture,“ he said.
Qaderi further said that the institute will resume production of finger puppets in view of the recent public interest in them.
Concurrent with the Third Child, Prayer and Kindness Festival, the department will also exhibit some of its new productions at IIDCYA’s Cultural and Artistic Center, located on Tehran’s Hejab Street.

Isfahan province Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department’s Protection Unit lacks executive power to check possible outbreaks of fire in historical sites.
Announcing this, head of the guards unit said that the historical sites have been equipped with fire extinguishers so that firemen can take preliminary steps to put out fire in edifices, said ISNA.
Necessary coordination has been made with the Municipality and Fire Department to prevent further damage to relics in case of arson in Naqsh-e Jahan Square or other monuments.
According to him, during President Ahmadinejad’s visit to the province, it was agreed that funds will be earmarked for the provincial Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department to prevent any disaster in historic sites.
Meanwhile, deputy head of the provincial Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department for preservation and restoration affairs, Hassan Ravanfar said that an agreement on safety measures has been signed and is currently being implemented.
Noting that wood has been used freely in the construction of significant edifices such as Ali Qapu and Chehel Sotuon, he said that safety measures will be undertaken more carefully in these sites.
Putting the funds for security at these sites at three billion rials, he said that the measures will be completed in the monuments by March.