TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) -- An exhibition of Iranian illumination artworks by French students of calligraphy opened on November 27, 2003 at Iran’s Cultural House in Paris. It was attended by Hojjatoleslam Mahmoud Mohammadi Araqi, Head of Iran's Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) and some other Iranian and French officials, the Mehr News Agency reported.

According to the Public Relations Department of the ICRO, exhibits of 20 French calligraphy students were put on display at the one-week long exhibition of the Iranian Cultural Center in Paris.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the exhibition, Araqi voiced his appreciation of all the contributions that teachers, students, and the cultural attaché of the Islamic Republic in Paris have made to the exhibition.

Araqi praised the French students for their great interest and keen attempts at creating beautiful Iranian style works of art, adding that such love and attention to Iranian arts and culture by a non-Iranian nation is greatly admirable.

It should be noted that the exhibition housing calligraphic artworks inspired by the Holy Qur’an and the poetry of such prominent Iranian poets as Hafez, Khayyam, and Ferdowsi would be closed on December 4, 2003.