TEHRAN -- Tajik cultural figure Farogat Azizova is convinced that Rudaki is a representative of the literature and culture of Iran and Tajikistan.

Azizova, an official from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan, recently met with Iran’s Cultural Attache Qahreman Soleimani. He gave a brief report on establishing a new building of Rudaki’s mausoleum, which is located in the village of Panjrul, near the city of Penjikent.
She pointed to the significant role of Rudaki in Persian literature and talked about his profound influence on the cultures of both countries.
She expressed her gratitude for Iran’s current activities that help develop bilateral cooperation, but also asked for the publication of more cultural and scientific articles.
She also praised the Rudaki Quarterly published by Iran’s Cultural office and asked for the dedication of a special edition of the magazine to the music of Tajikistan.
Soleimani also thanked the Tajikistan Ministry of Culture for its efforts in boosting cultural relations of both countries.
He highlighted Iran’s efforts in introducing Rudaki and his works to the world and noted that Tehran is holding a special program in honor of Rudaki and that Iran’s office is also holding a program in his honor in Dushanbe.
Born in the village of Rudak (Panjrud) in Khorasan, now located in Tajikistan, Rudaki was the first great literary genius of the modern Persian language who composed poetry in “New Persian,” which is written in the Perso-Arabic alphabet script.
Most of his biographers assert that he was totally blind, but the accurate knowledge of colors shown in his poems makes this very doubtful. Of the 1,300,000 verses attributed to him, only 52 elegies, ghazals and quatrains remain.