In a press conference held on Wednesday to announce the plans for the day, Head of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel said that a bell will be rung in the country’s schools to commemorate Persian language.
Iran’s Education Ministry, Culture and Islamic Guidance Ministry, Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, Iranian Academy of the Arts, Persian Language and Literature, and a number of other organizations will cooperate to hold a comprehensive collection of events on the day.
He added that there also will be naqqali (narrating Persian stories of ‘Shahnameh’) performances and reading Ferdowsi’s magnum opus ‘Shahnameh’ (Book of Kings) in a number of schools.
Mahmoud Shaloui, a special aide to the Iranian minister of culture, said that select candidates will be honored with three awards for research into epic literature, epic endeavors, creating epic as well as an international award.
On the occasion, translations of ‘Shahnameh’ will be unveiled in French and Spanish languages, Shaloui added.
Iran’s embassies will hold special events in over 40 countries, he noted.
A photo exhibition featuring Iran and Afghanistan’s artworks will also be held in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province.
Ferdowsi (940-1020), the author of ‘Shahnameh’ which is the world’s longest epic poem created by a single poet, is celebrated as one of the most influential figures in Persian literature. The poet continues to revive national and epic stories and history of Iran and breathe new life into Persian language and literature, and therefore he enjoys a lofty status and is venerated as Iran’s national poet.
Ferdowsi spent over three decades writing ‘Shahnameh’. It is twice as long as Homer’s ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’ combined. The book about the Persian kings, written entirely in Persian, played a key role in the revival of this language and made a significant contribution to the development of Persian literature.
Source: Iran Daily