TEHRAN -- Master of Persian painting Mahmud Farshchian met former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami on Saturday.

Khatami called Farshchian one of the great spiritual sources of the art, history, and culture of Iran and praised his art as well as his character, manners, and morality, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Sunday.
“Anybody who likes Iran is interested in Farshchian and his unique art,” said Khatami, who is currently the chairman of the Center for Dialogue Among Civilizations and Cultures.
He continued, “Throughout history, our country Iran has been the origin of great bebefit to humankind and to Islam through its development of the Islamic civilization.
“Iran enjoys a high position in the region from the geo-strategic and geo-political point of view, and it must learn to make the best use of its potentials and opportunities to help meet its national needs,” he explained.
Khatami also praised the fifth book of the master published by Guya Publications and stated, “The Iranian spirit is accompanied with Islamic delicacy in this book. Farshchian is like a lofty peak from which the spirit of this great land of Iran can be observed.”
Khatami later proposed that Farshchian publish a collection of his works in collaboration with the Center for Dialogue between Civilizations and Cultures, an idea that was warmly received by master Farshchian.
Farshchian also praised Khatami’s efforts in different cultural and social areas and talked about his memories of the time Khatami traveled to New York and held talks with Iranians residing in the United States.
“As a result of Khatami’s journeys to New York and his speeches there, all the Iranians felt proud of their nationality and their Iranian heritage,” he added.
He also remarked that the Farshchian Museum in the Sadabad Cultural and Historical Complex was established during the Khatami’s presidency, and today it is one of the most visited museums in the country.
The fifth book by Farshchian was unveiled at a commemoration ceremony in his honor held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall in December.
Farshchian is currently working on a painting tableau of “Abolfazl Abbas (AS)” on the occasion of the arrival of the month of Muharram.
He has also created two other works entitled “Evening of Ashura” and “Ali-Asghar” with the central theme of Ashura