ISLAMABAD: An Iranian Traditional Music Festival and two-day art exhibition was organised by the Iranian embassy and the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) to mark the 38th anniversary of the Iranian revolution.

The opening ceremony was divided into two portions. The first was made up of addresses by various speakers who spoke on Iranian culture, while the second included a performance by the Iranian classical music group Kook.

The musicians Syed Ali Sohofi, Zaman Khairi, Saeed Jalalian, Amir Pareveez Ahmadi, Mohammad Baqir Zenali played various Iranian instruments, including the taar, oud, setar, barbat, tonbak, daf and bansuri accompanied by vocalist Amir Mardaneh.

Mr Mardaneh sang five to six Persian songs, including poetry by Allama Mohammad Iqbal.

An exhibition featuring photography and artefacts from Iran was also displayed, which included handmade rugs and printed fabric, as well as silver products embellished with gem stones and wall hangings.

A documentary on the Iranian revolution and developments in various fields, including culture and religion, was also screened.

Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Maryam Aurangzeb said Iran has a rich and evolving artistic heritage that connects Pakistanis to the Iranian people.

“There is a need to expand the cultural ties and exchanges between the two countries and we can both learn from each other in different artistic and cultural industries,” she said.

Iranian Ambassador Mehdi-i-Honardost also emphasised cultural cooperation between Iran and Pakistan and said more cultural activities are in the pipeline for the coming year.

“In the past four decades post-revolution, despite of threats, sanctions and cultural invasions of the arrogant countries in order to defeat the Islamic revolution, the civilized and peace loving people of Iran rather than confrontation, stabilised and consolidated the revolution by recreating the Iranian Islamic identity and self self-dependence,” the cultural counsellor of the Iranian embassy, Shahboddin Daraei, said.

PNCA Director General Jamal Shah praised the Iranian artists and performances, and said the PNCA would reciprocate by sending a cultural and artistic troupe to Iran in the near future.

Izhar Najam, who was in the audience, said Iran and Pakistan shared history and culture: “Although we don’t understand the Persian language I believe that music has no language, it is heard and felt by the heart. Today’s performances were tremendous and I was enthralled after listening to such soulful music.”

Published in Dawn February 1st, 2017