The organizers of the 10th edition of a festival dedicated to nomads and the nomadic lifestyle in the northwestern province of Ardabil have planned to hold the festival internationally for the first time.

This festival, planned since May, is nearing its date, and preparations are underway for this international event, the provincial tourism chief has said.

Festival preparations and organization are being undertaken by all related organizations and tourism bodies in the province, Hassan Mohammadi Adib explained on Sunday.

Earlier this month, the official announced that the representatives and ambassadors of member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) have been invited to attend the event as the festival coincides with the opening ceremony of the “Ardabil 2023” event.

Visitors may experience the charm of the nomadic lifestyle at this festival, which showcases the capabilities of the nomads of this region, he noted.

ECO has added the festival of nomads to its annual calendar, bringing the event to an international level in 2023.

It has been a tradition to hold the nomad festival every May accompanied by the Moghan plain nomads, and this year the event will be held internationally.

In 2019, Ardabil along with Sari, the capital of Mazandaran province, were selected as the cultural capitals of the Economic Cooperation Organization for 2022 and 2023, respectively.

Last April, the tourism authorities of the province announced that they had developed extensive plans to draw more tourists during the winter to the province and make it the winter tourism hub of the country.

Sprawling on a high, windswept plateau, Ardabil is well known for having abundant natural beauty, hospitable people, and its silk and carpet trade tradition. It is also home to the UNESCO-registered Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and the Shrine Ensemble.

The province is freezing in winter and mild in summer, attracting thousands every year. The capital city of Ardabil is usually recorded as one of the coldest cities in the country in winter.

Heaven for nomadic people, Ardabil is home to some nomadic tent hotels, which are reportedly the first of their kind in the country.

The Islamic Republic seeks to boost ethnic tourism or tribe tourism in which holidaymakers may even stay with a nomadic family or enjoy an independent stay.

Many tourists from all over the world tend to observe the lifestyle of these hardworking people and spend a few days watching activities such as milking, yogurt making, buttering, oiling, woolen, carpeting, and much more.

The varied natural setting of the country never disappoints visitors when it comes to tribal tourism as the culturally diverse country is home to many regional people including ones with Turk and Arab elements in addition to the Kurds, Baloch, Bakhtyari, Lurs, and other smaller minorities such as Armenians, Assyrians, Jews and others.

Language, music, indigenous cuisine, clothing, songs, anecdotes, crafts, live performances, and local rituals such as celebrations and wedding ceremonies have always spurred many to experience life among the tribes. / T.T/

A lineup of movies by Iranian filmmakers is being screened in different sections of the 42nd Istanbul Film Festival underway in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

The lineup includes “World War III”, Iran’s submission to the 2023 Oscars, which has been selected to be screened in the international competition.

Directed by Hooman Seyyedi, the film follows a downtrodden day laborer as he appears to be given the opportunity of a lifetime when he’s cast in a bad film about the Holocaust, only to have his life turned upside down.

“Subtraction”, a co-production between Iran and France by Mani Haqiqi, has been picked to be screened in the Best of the Fests section.

The drama follows driving instructor Farzaneh, when she spots her husband on the streets of Tehran, even though he is supposed to be out of town on a business trip, she naturally suspects the worst. Following him, Farzaneh’s fears are seemingly confirmed when she sees him visiting another woman. With that woman’s husband also suspecting something is awry, the situation erupts into violence. Yet, all is not quite what it seems.

“Numb” by Amir Tuderusta is competing in the Young Masters category.

Pre-school is the first and last time boys and girls can learn together freely in Iran. “Numb” is set in a kindergarten and follows the curious little boy Roham. Roham falls in love with his classmate Rana and discovers the complicated secrets of her personal life all the while confronting the class bully.

“The Doll” has been selected to be shown in the Cinemania section.

Directed by Asghar Yusefinejad, the film tells the story of the aging family man Ayyub, who decides to marry a young woman when his wife of forty years, Shamsi, disappears under dubious circumstances. No one in the family seems to approve of this formidable and cheeky woman, because the new bride, Roya, is the caretaker of Ayyub’s mentally challenged adult son. As the wedding festivities drag on, the flavor is lost, while uninvited guests, the revelation of unpleasant secrets and true intentions upset the balance of the extended family.

This section also features six shorts by Iranian filmmaker Maryam Tafakory, including “Nazarbazi”, “Poem & Stone” and “Fragments of a Letter to a Child Unborn”.

The Istanbul Film Festival, which is organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, will announce winners on April 18. /T.T/

Ali Doosti Mehr was appointed as new head coach of Iran U14 football team.

The 59-year-old coach has previously worked as head coach of Iranian U17, U19 and U20 teams.

Doosti Mehr started his coaching career in Keshavarz club in 1992 and has also worked at Esteghlal and Bank Melli teams.

He led Iran at the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup in Nigeria, where his team lost to Uruguay 2-1 in the Round of 16. /T.T/

The third edition of KANS (Knowledge Application and Notion for Society) scientific competition will be held this year, calling for scholars, researchers, and innovators from Islamic countries to show their technological achievements or solutions for challenges.

Scholars, researchers, innovators, university students, and professors under 45 years of age submitted their scientific and technological ideas and achievements in the form of a 5-minute video presentation to participate in KANS 2023.

The event aims at finding the best scientific solutions to spot and tackle the problems of society while having accomplished the goals of using the character and capacities of the expert community, providing an accumulation of scientific works, raising the level of motivation and creativity in young elites, establishing a platform to identify and exchange scientific and technological ideas, and having researchers engaged in purposeful and sustainable interaction.

The first edition of the competition was held in 2017 in five fields of health, energy, economy, water and environment, information, and communication technology, with the participation of more than 600 technologists and young researchers from the country.

The second edition was also held in 2020 in 6 areas of water, environment and energy, health and medical technology, information and communication technology, economy, banking and financing, transportation, and mining and mineral industries, with the participation of nearly 700 technologists and scientists from more than 20 countries.

The third edition hosts the best projects of young scientists of the Islamic world in six areas of electricity, electronics and robotics, information and communication technology and artificial intelligence, water, energy and environment, health and medical equipment, agriculture and food industry, and mining and mineral industries.

Each of these areas includes a section called the free section and a challenges section. In general, the free sector in all fields is the idea of a conceptual design of a prototype or a new product that solves a challenge in the health and medical equipment sector or helps to improve the level of competence in that field.

Agricultural disease monitoring and forecasting tools, orchard spraying machines, early detection of disease in fruit plants using deep learning, and integrated agriculture equipped with the Internet of Things are some of the challenges in the field of food and agriculture industries.

Artificial intelligence and brain tumor imaging, artificial intelligence and retinal disease (retinopathy), artificial intelligence in pharmaceuticals, and nanosensors for cancer diagnosis (biomedical applications) are some of the challenges in the field of health and medical equipment.

The pollution caused by plastic and microplastics, electronic waste pollution, cleanup of oil-contaminated soils, development of wastewater treatment technologies, environmental issues, water resources management, and energy consumption management are some of the challenges in the field of water, energy, and environment.

In the field of electrical, electronics, and robotics, attracting students to STEM science, technology, engineering, and math programs, wireless energy transfer for charging electronic cars, FMCW radar for commercial applications, organic solar cells for powering electronic devices, and sensors are important.

In the field of information and communication technology and artificial intelligence, unsupervised machine learning, justifiable artificial intelligence, the expansion of educational justice through technology, educational assistive technology for autism, online identity verification, gastrointestinal systems, and remote ophthalmology have been presented as a challenge.

In the field of mining and mineral industries, extraction and separation of rare earth elements from concentrate, conversion of calcium sulfate as a by-product of a chemical process into building plaster, methods of extraction and separation on an industrial scale, extraction of natural gas from coal layers, and determination of reserves and accurate grading of minerals are discussed. /T.T/

The 30th edition of the International Holy Quran Exhibition opened at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla on Saturday. President Ebrahim Raisi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili, and a group of religious figures attended the opening ceremony.

Artworks and handcrafts representing Quran verses and teachings are on view at the showcase, which will run until April 18. The exhibition is organized every year during the month of Ramadan. /T.T/

Iranian drama “Left Handed” has won the award for best film at the Positively Different Short Film Festival in Athens, Greece.

Written and directed by Nasrin Mohammadpur, the film tells the story of Maryam, a 38-year-old woman who heads a family of four.

She decides to cut off her right hand while working in a poultry slaughterhouse because, in this way, she can get more money from insurance than losing her left hand to pay her debts. To this end, Maryam starts to practice with her left hand to do daily chores. However, on the appointed day, when she intends to amputate her right hand, the machine suddenly jams, and Maryam’s left hand is accidentally amputated instead of her right hand. Therefore, a new fate determines for her.

The film previously won the BNP Paribas Excellence Prize at the 2022 Seoul International Women’s Film Festival.

The Positively Different Short Film Festival announced winners last week.

“5pm Seaside” by Valentin Stejskal was selected as best Greek film.

This film follows Nikos, a solitary truck driver, who arrives on a remote beach on his 40th birthday. He is there to meet his former lover, Christos, whom he hasn’t seen since their military days.

“To Read Them Poems” by German filmmaker Alexis Chatzigiannis won the audience award.

A road trip with a truck driver and a poet leads them to a grotesque and risky poetry slam. But it’s Christmas and miracles can happen.

The Curatorial Team Award was given to “9th Floor to the Right” by Andrea Romano from France.

One evening, in his apartment in Belleville, Lorenzo is getting ready to receive Marvin for the first time, a boy he likes. Marvin shows up at the door with Thomas, a homeless man he met on the street looking to shower. Lorenzo doesn’t dare say no.

“The Positively Different Short Film Festival aims to act as a reference point for raising awareness with regards to intersectionality and discrimination, providing a safe space for co-creation and networking,” the organizers have said. /T.T/

The Persian Gulf island of Qeshm has recorded over 27,000 tourist arrivals in two days, a local official has said. On Wednesday and Thursday, over 27,000 travelers arrived on the island through Laft and Pohl piers, Mohammad Saeid Akhundi explained on Saturday.

Tourist arrivals on this island increased by 75 percent compared to the same period last year, the official added.

This increase in tourist arrivals has been attributed to the improvement of the island’s tourism infrastructure and increased promotion of its attractions, he noted.

Qeshm Island is heaven for eco-tourists as it embraces wide-ranging attractions such as the Hara marine forests and about 60 villages dotted mostly across its rocky coastlines.

The island also features geologically eye-catching canyons, hills, caves, and valleys, most of which are protected as part of the UNESCO-tagged Qeshm Island Geopark, itself a haven for nature lovers.

Many travelers to Qeshm believe that the Stars Valley or Valley of Stars is a “MUST SEE.” It is home to bizarre-shaped gorges, tall pillars, canyon-like paths, hollowed-out spaces as well as smooth and round stones, which have been formed by the wind and rain eroding the soil, rocks and stones. Locals believe that a star once fell on this area, thereby creating the rocky shapes that make it seem as if from another planet. /T.T/

More than 3,000 women heads of households have been employed under the supervision of female entrepreneurs, Ensieh Khazali, the vice president for women and family affairs, has said.

With the help of female entrepreneurs, it is possible to prevent some social harm to female heads of households, ISNA quoted Khazali as saying.

Also, female entrepreneurs are committed to supplying raw materials to women heads of households, she added.

The National Headquarters for Women and Family Affairs has approved six plans to support families and empower women and improve their status in society.

The formation of a loan guarantee fund for women heads of households was one of the plans of the National Headquarters for Women and Family Affairs.

According to official statistics, there are 3.5 million female heads of households, but according to unofficial statistics, the figure reaches more than 6 million.

The government has prioritized such families for targeting socio-economic support.

The Vice Presidency for Women and Family Affairs has released a report on the achievements of women after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in 7 areas of “education”, “health”, “employment and entrepreneurship”, “media”, “sports”, “decision-making”, and “environment, climate, and crises”.

In the field of education, the share of women in university faculty members has increased by 33.3 percent, and in medical sciences universities by 34 percent. Also, the number of female students in the country’s universities has increased by 56 percent, according to the report.

Also, illiteracy among women and girls has been nearly eradicated as the literacy rate reached 99.3 percent and the ratio of female to male students has increased by 28 percent.

The report also says that after the Islamic Revolution until the past Iranian calendar year (March 2021-March 2022), more than 9,500 female authors and 840 female publishers were active in the country.

In the field of employment and entrepreneurship, 4,200 rural women’s credit funds have been operating. Also, 2,390 women work as members of the board of directors of knowledge-based companies.

According to this report, there are 16,111 sports clubs for women in the country, and 3,302 medals have been won by female athletes in recent world events.

Moreover, 70 women have been presidents of sports committees at the provincial level, and 51 women have been presidents and heads of sports federations. Also, 88,366 women referees have participated in national and international competitions, and Iranian women have worked in 97 international seats in world sports federations.

In the field of media, the participation rate of women in the field of information technology has reached 5.31 percent, 903 women filmmakers have worked in the field of cinema and 2000 women specialists have worked behind the scenes.

Also, 114 national awards and 128 international awards have been won by female filmmakers in prominent festivals.  /T.T/

Bisotun Historical Complex is one of the most important ancient sites located in the east of Kermanshah province, in western Iran. Bisotun was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006.

Inside the Bisotun Historical Complex, there are valuable works from the prehistoric period of Iran to the Islamic period, 28 of which have been nationally registered.

Works such as Darius the Great’s World Inscription, the Statue of Hercules, Farhad Tarash, Sarab Biston, Ilkhani Buildings, Safavid Buildings, Shekarchian (hunters) Ancient Cave, the Goodarz II’s relief and the Shah Abbasi Caravanserai are in Bisotun’s historical complex.

The Inscription of Darius the Great is one of the most authoritative historical documents in the world, which is in the Bisotun historical complex. Darius’s relief is carved 100 meters above the ground on the cliffs of Bisotun Mountain.