TEHRAN -- Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati said that the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad deserves the title of the Capital of Islamic Culture.

He made the remarks in Mashhad on Saturday during the 2nd session of the High Council for Policymaking on the Capital of Islamic Culture.

“Selecting the city as the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2017 provides an opportunity for the city to be introduced worldwide and in the Islamic world,” he stated.

He asked Mashhad officials to refurbish the city in preparation for hosting visitors from Islamic countries and other nations.

He said that the officials can also make good use of the Astan-e Qods Razavi Museum and Library in Mashhad and its proximity to the tomb of Persian poet Ferdowsi in Tus to introduce the merits of the city.

He also called on the officials to use experiences of the executives of Isfahan, which was the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2006, to prepare Mashhad for the occasion.

“The holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad and its proximity to the tomb of Ferdowsi are among the cultural potentials of the city by which we can reinforce the unity of the Islamic world,” Mashhad Governor General Alireza Rashidian said at the meeting.

Almaty in Kazakhstan is currently the Capital of Islamic Culture in the Asian region and Male in the Republic of Maldives will take the title for 2016.

The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) selects the Capital of Islamic Culture every year for the Arab nations and the Asian and African regions.

Photo: Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati speaks during the 2nd session of the High Council for Policymaking on the Capital of Islamic Culture in Mashhad on June 27, 2015. (Honaronline/M.J. Abjushak)

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