Iftar, illuminated manuscript, and Sadeh festival may be Iran’s next entries to UNESCO list

“We are developing a multi-national dossier on Iftar (the evening meal to break fast during the month of Ramadan) and its associated social and cultural traditions to be submitted to UNESCO,” the deputy tourism minister said in recent conference on Thursday.

Additionally, the country has confirmed two other nominees for the prestigious label, which are the art of Tazhib (illumination) and Jashn-e Sadeh (Sadeh festival), Ali Darabi explained.

Hopefully, by registering these three elements, we will take significant steps towards introducing Iran’s tangible and intangible, the official said.

Earlier in September, Iran invited Saudi Arabia to join a possible UNESCO listing for Iftar and its socio-cultural traditions, which are shared among Muslim-majority countries. The invitation was made by Darabi in a meeting held in Riyadh with the Kingdom’s Rakan bin Ibrahim Al-Touq, general supervisor of cultural affairs and international relations. “The Iftar feast is a very treasured and common heritage among all Muslims. This tradition has been left by the beloved Prophet of Islam, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), as a remembrance for us Muslims,” Darabi said.

Iftar stands out during the lunar month of Ramadan, when believers abstain from food and drink during daylight hours and break their fast with the iftar evening meals, which vary from simple plates of bread, dates, cheese, and tea to heavy ones. For Muslims, Ramadan, also known as “Ramazan-e Karim” (benevolent/merciful Ramadan), is a time for more than ever, practicing humility, patience, simplicity, empathy, and acceptance when things don’t go their way. It’s also a time to make stronger bonds of fellowship.

Jashn-e Sadeh, which usually falls on January 30, is named after the number one hundred (Sad in Farsi). The event marks 50 days and 50 nights before Nowruz (the beginning of the Iranian calendar year on March 21). The common belief emphasizes that it is a mid-winter ritual to celebrate the date when the earth starts warming up. The festivity is nowadays more popular among Iranian Zoroastrians in the cities of Yazd, Tehran, Shiraz, and Kerman. Narratives say that the feast is to remember the mythical discovery of fire. That’s why they set fire to a big pile of wood when the event reaches its climax.

Tazhib is an intricate form of Islamic illumination and ornamentation found in Persian and Islamic art. Rooted in ancient Persia, this exquisite art form involves the decoration of manuscripts, book covers, Qur’ans, and various surfaces with elaborate and detailed designs using gold, vibrant colors, and delicate patterns. In the most rigid definition, the term refers to manuscripts decorated with gold or silver, but in common usage, the term refers to any decorated or illustrated manuscript. Islamic manuscripts can be referred to as illuminated, illustrated, or painted works.

According to Ali Darabi, Iran firmly adheres to the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. “The Islamic Republic of Iran is one of the most active countries in the world in the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage,” Darabi noted earlier this year in an address to the 5th Ordinary Governing Council Meeting of the Regional Research Center for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in West and Central Asia.

AFM