Story by Patience Nyagato
The Iran Culture Centre in Harare recently hosted vibrant celebrations for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, as part of ongoing efforts to promote cultural exchanges between Zimbabwe and Iran.
Nowruz, which marks the first day of spring and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in Iran, is a festival symbolising peace and friendship.
“Nowruz is originally from the Persian culture in Iran, that Iranians more than 3 000 years ago celebrated. Nowruz normally starts on March 21, and it is the first day of spring in Iran,” the Cultural Counsellor for the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr Hamid Bakhtiyar said.
“Nowruz is the messenger of peace and friendship. As a cultural center of the embassy of Iran, we are facilitating for those who are interested to explore other cultures and traditions. This is very important, especially for the students. This is in the line with our commitment with the brotherly and friendly Zimbabwean government to expand and promote our relation in the field of culture and art and I want to thank and I want to say Makorokoto to all Zimbabweans and happy New Year.”
The importance of documenting culture came under the spotlight, with Iran showcasing crafts that have a history of more than two thousand years.
“We inculcate the culture of preserving one’s history because we have discovered that there is a gap. People do not document their achievements, where they come from. So with this festival, we are exchanging. It is a cultural exchange programme where we are sharing what Zimbabwe and also learning from them what they do.
“What we have discovered on this event is that Iran is into preserving its culture dating back to more than 2500 years back, of which Zimbabwe we find ourselves as learners in order to preserve our history the same way they do,” Culture conservation expert, Anna Mangwiro said.
Zimbabwe and Iran continue to improve relations through various bilateral ties and cultural exchange programmes.
