OREANDA-NEWS. February 09, 2011. The ceremony of opening the Days of Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Turkmenistan took place in the Turkmen capital. The large-scale cultural action is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting of Turkmenistan jointly with the Cultural Centre of the IRI Embassy in Turkmenistan. Hamid Baghai, Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Head of the Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, who had arrived in the Turkmen capital a day before, attended the ceremony.

The Days of Culture initiated by the leaders of Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have become a good tradition embodying the imperishable values such as peace, humanism and good neighbourliness and offering incentives to foster further friendly relations based on common historical, cultural and spiritual traditions of the two nations.

Today, these relations are distinguished for a qualitatively new level and high dynamics of development in many fields of fruitful trade and economic cooperation and humanitarian collaboration. The illustrative examples include the exhibition of Turkmen goods, which took place in Mashhad town last month and aroused keen interest among business circles as well as general public of the friendly country. A noteworthy fact of expanding the Turkmen-Iranian cultural dialogue was the participation of the artistic delegation of our country in the International Press and Information Agencies Festival in Tehran in 2010, at which Turkmen press products reflecting to the full extent grandiose changes taking place in the social, economic and cultural life of Turkmenistan in the epoch of new Revival were presented widely.

This year the Days of Culture of Iran in Turkmenistan is a new page in the modern history of relations between the two brotherly nations seeking to enhance the ties of friendship and mutual understanding.

The venue for the opening ceremony was the Academy of Fine Arts, where the exhibition of works of Iranian fine, applied and decorative arts was opened. The ceremony brought together cultural workers, representatives of the Turkmen public organisations and diplomatic missions accredited to Turkmenistan, students and guests of the Turkmen capital. The welcome statement of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to participants of the cultural actions was presented at the ceremony. Focusing on the significance of this action that presented national peculiarities and uniqueness of culture and art of the Iranian people, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasised that “we attach considerable importance to developing those friendly relations which promote enhancing mutual respect and confidence”.

The versatile exposition arranged in the Exhibition Hall of the State Academy of Fine Arts presents the works by well-known craftsmen and artists illustrating a diversity of genres and artistic peculiarities of Iranian applied and decorative arts. These are calligraphic characters skilfully engraved on the stone, inlaid wood caskets, glazed ceramic and silver dishware, picturesque paintings and fine miniatures, pieces of jewellery and mosaic, carpet articles and traditional embroideries. A photo exposition captures present-day Iran with ancient historical monuments and new architectural ensemble is of particular interest. A section of the exhibition comprises scientific and belletristic literature and rare editions of printed products, including those in the Turkmen language. In the framework of the exhibition Iranian craftsmen conducted master classes to share experience and give lessons of craftsmanship to young artists.

A bright musical finale of the ceremony was the performances of the Iranian folklore group on the stage of the Watan Cinema and Concert hall, and the artists’ masterly performance evoked the warmest response among grateful spectators.

Citizens and guests of the Turkmen capital can visits the exhibition and learn about cultural and unique art of the Iranian people and take lessons in calligraphy, embroidery, embossing, etching and other crafts until the Days of Iranian Culture closed on February 11 inclusively.

The programme of the cultural action includes the shows of films created by Iranian cinematographers. The first film show will take place on February 9 at the Turkmenistan Cultural Centre. On February 10, the opening the Days of Children’s Friendship traditionally held with participation of representative of the Iranian Centre of Children and Youth Intellectual Development will be opened at the State Puppet Theatre in Ashgabat.