TEHRAN-The 36th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) opened at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran on Wednesday in the presence of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi.

“If we want development, a bright future, and progress for Iran, and if we want to thwart the enemies, we must think more and more about books and strive to expand this great culture of Iranian power,” the minister said at the opening ceremony.

According to him, books have played a crucial role in ancient Iran and Islamic civilization. “Islamic civilization was formed and progressed on the wings of mosques and libraries,” he added.

Salehi stressed that if “Shahnameh” had not been created after Islam in Iran, the Persian language would not have remained intact. “If a civilization wants to emerge and endure, it needs books. Books, regardless of their form, represent a coherent thought. If a country or society desires lasting endurance and wishes not to be absorbed by the thoughts of its rivals and invaders, it must rely on books for that lasting power.”

“The concern for books must be a concern for all those who think about the social development of Iran. This should not just be the concern of the Ministry of Culture, authors, or the publishing community. If we want proper social development, we need to produce and consume good books,” Salehi added.

After the opening ceremony, Salehi visited the pavilion of Iraq, which is the special guest of this edition of the fair, and met Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities of the Republic of Iraq.

During the visit, Salehi delivered a speech, stating: “This exhibition, which annually provides a unique opportunity to get acquainted with the latest domestic and international publishing achievements, has a special guest this year—Dr. Al-Badrani. His presence at this event symbolizes the cultural solidarity and longstanding connections between the two nations of Iran and Iraq.”

“Books and culture have always been bridges between nations, and today, here at this exhibition, we are witnessing the close bond between the Iranian and Iraqi people,” he added.

“From the rich Persian literature to the exquisite Arabic literature, and from ancient historical works to modern thoughts, we witness a remarkable diversity of human intellect here, all speaking a universal language. This diversity showcases the cultural synchronization and synergy between the two great nations of Iran and Iraq,” the minister noted.

“As cultural authorities in Iran, we have always strived to provide the necessary groundwork for the development of cultural cooperation and international publishing. We hope that this exhibition can help strengthen these cultural relations and take a big step toward the expansion of science and culture.,” Salehi asserted.

Iraq has participated in the event with 15 publishers. Among them, one publisher is affiliated with the Iraqi Council of Ministers, and the other 14 are members of the Iraqi Publishers Association.

More than 2,600 Iranian publishers are present at the fair. Moreover, 50 applicants from other countries have registered. Their books will be displayed in the Arabic and Latin sections of the exhibition, mostly published between 2023 and 2025.

The foreign publishers hail from countries including Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Brazil, China, Egypt, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, Spain, Syria, and Turkey among others.

The 36th TIBF will run until May 17 at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla. “Let’s Read for Iran” has been chosen as the slogan for the upcoming edition of the book fair.

Photo: Seyyed Abbas Salehi (R) and Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani (2nd L) meet during the 36th Tehran International Book Fair at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla on May 7, 2025.

SS/SAB