Culture

CHRI – Iranian actress Maryam Moghaddam (also referred to as Moqadam), has written an open letter to Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi asking why she was suddenly barred from working on a movie. “Mr. Minister! This is the state of the film industry you are in charge of: I was pulled from a film project on the …

Al-Monitor – A supervisory body affiliated with Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has imposed a sudden ban on “Rahman 1400,” a satirical movie that has achieved extraordinary box office success in the past few weeks. The decision was made after the ministry found the movie in breach of common censorship rules that include strict script-vetting procedures.  In a series of witty …

PayvandN\ews – Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, a UNESCO-registered ensemble in southwest Iran which is known as a ‘masterpiece of creative genius’, has not been affected by flash floods and heavy rainfall that stroke almost all of the country in the past weeks. “Fortunately, up to the moment, no major damage has been caused to the World Heritage site of Shushtar …

IRNA – Tehran City Council wants to name the Iranian capital’s streets after the contemporary artists who have won the hearts and minds of their nation. The Iranians believe he who dies only his body leaves this world, but his memory will remain alive and Tehran City Council is planning to take this belief to another level. The city councilors …

middleeasteye – Iran’s cosmetic products market was valued $2.7 billion in 2018, with over half of the products being smuggled into the country, according to ISNA news agency. With a population of 81 million, Iran has the second highest consumption rate of cosmetic products in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia – a ranking unaffected by the US sanctions and …

PayvandNews – “3 Faces,” a film by renowned Iranian director Jafar Panahi, opens today at select theaters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Encino and Hartford with screenings in other cities to come. 3 Faces Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s fourth completed feature since he was officially banned from filmmaking is one of his very best. Panahi begins with a smartphone video …

Some of Iran’s age-old cultural heritage sites have been reportedly damaged as a result of heavy rainfall and extreme weather during recent days. Reports from Iran say some ancient relics have also been affected by floods in various parts of Iran. Mohamad Hossein Talebian, deputy chairman of Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization (CHO), told reporters on Wednesday March 27 “cracks on …

PayvandNews – On 7 March 2019, parts of Taq Kasra collapsed only two years after the completion of a conservation operation by Avers. The Czech firm had been commissioned by the Iraqi Ministry of Culture. Taq Kasra, also known as the Arch of Ctesiphon, is the world’s largest brick vault and the symbol of the Persian Empire in the Sasanian era (224-651 …

PayvandNews – The arrival of spring coincides with the beginning of the Persian New Year Norooz. This is a festive occasion for Iranians and many other countries in the region.  People in different parts of Iran celebrate Norooz with their local customs and traditions. Some of the most joyful and colorful celebrations are held in villages of Kurdestan province in western …

PatvandNews – Only three hours from the capital Tehran, the central city of Kashan in Isfahan province can definitely be deemed as a marvelous get-away for many urbanites who yearn for the authenticity of traditional Iranian culture and architecture.  Travelers to Kashan can visit numerous historical houses from the 18th and 19th centuries that illustrate the finest examples of architecture …