Iran proposes Croatia to join UN-recognition of Noruz

January 22, 2020 - 18:36

TEHRAN – Iran has put forward Croatia a proposal to join a multinational dossier for Noruz that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has approved for Iran and several other countries.

“Iran has suggested that the European country could join the Noruz dossier considering that [the new year celebration] is also observed in Croatia,” CHTN quoted deputy tourism minister Mohammad-Hassan Talebian as saying on Monday.

Talebian raised the issue in his meeting with Croatian Ambassador to Tehran Drago Štambuk, noting that cultural relations between the two nations date back to Achaemenid, Sassanid, and Islamic periods.

The ground is fertile for Croatia to deepen cooperation with Iran in the field of intangible cultural heritage, the Iranian official noted.

“One of our suggestions, during this visit, was to organize joint exhibitions in the arenas of cultural heritage, tourism, crafts, and museums,” Talebian said.

Noruz, which usually falls on March 21st every year, marks the beginning of spring across a vast geographical area.

The feast was initially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009, as a common tradition for Iran, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. However, the five other countries put in requests officially to be added to the list during a meeting held in Tehran in January 2014.

In December 2016, Iran and 11 other countries registered Noruz as a common tradition during the 11th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to the UNESCO, Noruz promotes the values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families, as well as reconciliation and neighborliness, thus contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and various communities.

Traditions that are practiced in Noruz vary from place to place, ranging from leaping over fires and streams in Iran to tightrope walking, lighting candles at house doors, traditional games such as horse racing or the traditional wrestling practiced in Kyrgyzstan.

AFM/MG

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