Expert Meeting on “The Art of Zoroastrian Needlework” and Opening Exhibition on “The Paintings of Efatolmoluk Khajenuri and Shokatolmoluk Shaghaghi”

According to the Public Relations and Media Affairs of Tehran University’s Cultural Spaces and Museums Department, this meeting occurred in the presence of: Esfandiar Ekhtiyari (Incumbent Zoroastrian Member of Parliament), Morteza Adibzadeh (Director of Museums and Historical Properties), Afshin Namiranian(President of the Zoroastrian Association of Tehran), Mehrangiz Shahzadi (President of the Zoroastrian Women's Organization) Hormoz Khosraviyani(Representative of Council of Iranian Mobeds) Babak Salamati(Director and Editor-in-chief of Amordad Weekly Newspaper), Mohammadreza Akhzariyan Kashani (General Manager of the Social and Cultural Affairs of Tehran University), Majid Montazer Zohuri( Head of Cultural Spaces and Museums Department of Tehran University), Jahanara, Ali Golshan, Shirin Mazdapour, and the other people who were interested in this artistic field.

In this meeting, Morteza Adibzadeh said: the Zoroastrians of Iran are considered among the best keepers of ancient Iran. He added:  in the current year, the Turkmen-style needlework has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and we try to inscribe the art of Zoroastrian needlework and also the other arts mainly made by women in this list in the near future.

Also, the General Manager of the Social and cultural affairs of Tehran University mentioned the valuable services and works of Iran’s Zoroastrian population and said: “Although Iran’s Zoroastrians do not have a very big population, they have a huge blessing and benefit to the society.”

By indicating that the main subject of the meeting is clothing, Mohammadreza Akhzariyan Kashani added: “One of the most important symbols of representing one person and also society, as a collection of humans, is certainly the manner of clothing. That’s why most religions, after being founded, have established the principle of clothing among their first traditions and conventions. These conventions can be considered as specific characteristics that distinguish ethnic groups, religions, or nations from each other.”

He said: “Zoroastrian beautiful and colorful style of clothing which is mainly representative of flag colors like green, white, and red is considered as one of the most important civilizations characteristics of our society.”

By referring to the current changes in the clothing industry in the world, Akhzariyan Kashani stated:  “One of the necessities of our society is designing and preparing new clothing patterns for Iranians which by respecting religious practices show beautiful and colorful fashion.”

Zoroastrians: Iranian Cultural Pioneers

In the expert meeting on “The Art of Zoroastrian Needlework”, Majid Montazer Zohuri, faculty member of the archaeology department at Tehran University said: “Zoroastrians are pioneers and forerunners of Iranian culture. We can say that we owe much of our micro and macro cultural features to the Zoroastrian population. We try to continue our peaceful cultural symbiosis.” He added: “All the religions are like a thread of rosary that collect the members of our society by each other.” He also appreciated the effort of people who have contributed to holding the meeting.

Also, Esfandiar Ekhtiyari, Mehrangiz Shahzadi, and Mobad Hormoz Khosraviyani congratulated the Sepandārmazgān ceremony, commemorated the Iranian women's role, and made lectures about the art of Zoroastrian needlework.

The other lecturers of the meeting were: Ali Golshan (Analyzing the Patterns of Clothing among Zoroastrians of Iran), Shirin Mazdapour (Flower and Pattern; A Beautiful Memorial of Traditional Time), and Reza Majidi Najaf Abadi (Analyzing the Historical Textile of Moghadam House Museum)

At the end of the meeting, an exhibition on “The Paintings of Efatolmoluk Khajenuri and Shokatolmoluk Shaghaghi” opened in the Kamalolmolk Museum of the Negarestan Garden Museum.