TEHRAN -- Iranian luminaries of various scientific, cultural, and artistic fields were praised during the Sixth Eternal Figures Gathering here at the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) International Conference Hall in northern Tehran Monday night.

The program was organized by the IRIB in collaboration with domestic universities, academies, unions, and foundations.

Veteran Iranian tenor Mohammad Nuri warmed up the ceremony by performing a piece of music accompanied by piano.

The event also commemorated some of the eminent figures who played significant roles in the history of Iran through a video clip onto which the late Iranian singer Farhad Mehrad’s piece of music was mixed.

The gathering continued with a speech delivered by the IRIB Managing Director Ezzatollah Zarghami.

He honored the two 2005 eternal figures, poet Manuchehr Atashi and sculptor Ali-Akbar San’ati, both of whom have passed away.

“What is eternity? I think reality is eternal. Since the luminaries have gained reality, they also become eternal,” he stated.

At the end, the elite got on stage to receive their awards. Iran’s eternal figures in 2006 are as follows:

Afsaneh Safavi (Chemistry).

Hashem Rafieitabar (Nanotechnology).

Caro Lux (Electricity).

Mansur Nikkhah-Bahrami (Mechanics).

Ali Eslami (Veterinary).

Majid Samiei (Neurology).

Gholamreza Purmand (Urology).

Gholamali Afruz (Psychology).

Ali-Mohammad Haqshenas (Linguistics).

Jalil Tajlil (Persian Literature).

Ali Musavi Garmarudi (Poetry).

Mahmud Mahernaqsh (Visual Arts).

Mohammad Nuri (Music).

Jamshid Mashayekhi (Cinema).

Yadollah Kaboli (Calligraphy).

Ahmad Rasulzadeh (Dubbing).

Abbas-Ali Amid Zanjani (Law).

Ali Rezaiian (Management).

Gholam-Hossein Shokuhi (Education).

Mohammad-Hossein Tamaddon (Economics).

Sadeq Aiinehvand (History).

Parviz Fattah (Dam Building).

Ali-Baba Hajizadeh (Iranology).

In addition, the organizers paid homage to Professor Mikhail Bogolubov, the member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, honored dean of the Oriental Faculty of St. Petersburg University, and head of the Oriental Committee of the Russian Geographic Society.