TEHRAN -- Honorary citizenship of Frasher was granted to Reza Karami, the Iranian director of the Sadi Foundation of Albania, during a special ceremony in the Albanian city on June 5.

Karami was awarded the title by the Mayor of Frasher Tomor Kotori and head of the City Council Durim Aliko.

The Iranian Ambassador to Albania Eqbal Zarech, and the advisor to the Albanian Minister of Culture, Youth and Women’s Affairs were also present at the ceremony.

Karami was awarded the title for his efforts in promoting, both in Iran and Albania, the name and status of the Albanian romantic poet Naim Frasheri.

Naim was born May 25, 1846 and died October 20, 1900.

Frasheri wrote his first poetic compositions in Persian. Overall he wrote twenty-two major works in four languages.

Four of his works were in Turkish, one in Persian, two in Greek and fifteen in Albanian. His patriotic poems and highly popular lyrical poetry were at first strongly influenced by Persian literature.

During the ceremony honorary citizenship was also awarded to the Albanian historian Kristo Frasheri.

The Sadi foundation in Albania has made great efforts to popularize the works of Naim and his brother Sami who was a writer, philosopher and playwright.

The foundation organized a seminar in commemoration of Sami Frasheri and published the book “The World of Iran in Sami Frasheri’s Works”.

It also helped to organize a seminar on the role of the Frasheri brothers in furthering the Persian language and republished Naim’s book entitled “Karbala”.