Minister: Nowruz most ancient human festival
Nowruz is the most ancient human festival and its history is tied to nature, said Ezzatollah Zarghami, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism.
Nowruz does not belong only to 12 countries that contributed to its registration on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, however, it is associated with all the people of the world, he added.
The minister made the statement during the ceremony to commemorate the International Nowruz Festival, held on Tuesday at Tehran’s Niavaran Cultural Center.
The ceremony was attended by Iranian officials and ambassadors of a number of countries including Tajikistan, India, Iraq and Turkmenistan.
Deputy Tourism Minister Ali Darabi said that the intangible heritage is a phenomenon that is related to human beings, motivations, desires and hopes, and the global registration of Nowruz, as one of the greatest human heritages, is the symbol of people’s hope, desire and bond with nature.
Speaking on China and Mongolia’s proposal to join the global registration of Nowruz, Darabi said that the proposal is highly welcomed because the development of Nowruz is in fact the development of peace.
Tajikistan’s Ambassador to Iran Nizamuddin Zahedi said Nowruz is one of the most ancient rituals of the country and do not fade into oblivion because the nations celebrating it will protect this ancient tradition.