The National Poetry and Literature Day of Iran, coincided with the death day of the renowned contemporary Iranian poet Shahriar, was celebrated in Tabriz.
The celebration was held in a monument known as Maqbarat-o-shoara, where a number of celebrated Iranian poets from the 10th century AD to date, including Shahriar, were buried and several national and local officials as well as a crowd of people from all walks of life attended the ceremony.
Mohammad Hossein Behjat Tabrizi, mainly known by his pen name Shahriar, was a notable Iranian poet who wrote in both Azeri and Persian languages.
His most important work, Heydar Babaya Salam, is considered to be a contemporary pinnacle in Azarbaijani literature which gained great popularity in the Turkic world and was translated to more than 30 languages.
Ali Asghar Sherdoost, an Iranian poet and the former Ambassador in Tajikistan, who proposed the naming of the day, was also among attendees.
Iran’s Minister of Cultural and Islamic Guidance sent a message to the ceremony, saying that the great poet Shahriar narrated humanitarian concerns in his poetry.
Head of Academy of Persian Language and Literature Gholamali Haddad Adel delivered a speech, praising Shahriar’s work and Tabriz City, where Shahriar was born and spent most of his life.
Haddad Adel named the poets buried in Maqbarat-o-shoara as Asadi Tousi, Qatran Tabrizi, Mujir al-Din Bilqani, Khaqani Shervani, Zahir al-Din Fariabi, Zul-Faqar Shervani, Homam Tabrizi,Maghrebi Tabrizi, Mani Shirazi, Lesani Shirazi, Shakibi Tabrizi and Shahriar.
Representative of Vali-e-Faqih in East Azarbaijan Province and Imam of Friday Prayer in Tabriz Mohammad Ali Al-e Hashem and East Azarbaijan Province Governor-General Mohammad Reza Pourmohammadi also delivered speech in the ceremony.
