#VisitIran: The land of Glory and Beauties
Having 15 UNESCO World Heritage sites and the 10th country on Tourism Attractions and 5th on Ecotourism, are only small parts of #Iran characteristics significant for the foreign tourists.
Today, Iranians mark Ferdowsi, savior of Farsi & celebrate Persian Language Day, recognizing his immense contribution to preserving their language & cultural identity.
Ferdowsi, born in 940 CE near Tous, is globally revered for his Shahnameh (Book of Kings), longest epic poem by a single author and a cornerstone of Persian literature.
This masterpiece, completed after three decades of work when Arabic threatened to supplant Persian as the language of scholarship, chronicles Iran's mythical and historical past in approximately 50,000 rhyming couplets across 62 stories.
Iran has been the land of literature for centuries. Saadi Shirazi is one of the Iranian poets with international fame.
Iranians mark the National Commemoration Day of the renowned Persian poet Saadi Shirazi on April 21 every year.
An Iranian girl plays on a swing on a beach in the city of Bandar Abbas, near the Strait of Hormuz٫ as smoke rises from a nearby naval base hit by strikes.
Despite the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, Iranians celebrate the Persian New Year, Happy #Nowruz!
May this new year brings new light, happiness and peace for the whole world.
Literary traditions also play a key role esp reading poems from Hafez.
A ritual involves each participant making a wish before opening the Divan of Hafez at random. Another person then reads the selected poem aloud & its verses are interpreted as a symbolic response to the wish.
#Yalda commonly observed as an overnight family gathering. Families usually decorate a table with fruits & nuts.
Watermelon & pomegranate are the most iconic, both valued for their red color that symbolizes the sun.
Pomegranate has long been regarded as a symbol of fertility, blessing & happiness.
On the last day of autumn, Iranians nationwide are preparing to celebrate the longest night of the year known as #Yalda Night, an ancient festival marking the winter solstice, the rebirth of the sun & the symbolic triumph of light over darkness.
#Iran