TEHRAN – Yazd, the central Iranian city that is home to many magnificent historical mosques and ancient Zoroastrian fire temples, has been named as Iran’s 2019 Book Capital.

The choice was announced at the National Library and Archives of Iran during the Festival of Book Loving Villages and Nomads, which was attended by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi, Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri and a number of cultural officials from Yazd.

Ten villages, including Jaidasht and Kersihki in Fars Province, Arkan in North Khorasan Province, Hesar Zir Khan in Khorasan Razavi Province, and Esfandiar in South Khorasan Province, were selected as Book Loving Villages of the Year.

Launched in 2015, the festival is organized every year to promote reading among villagers and nomads, and also to announce Iran’s Book Capital of the year.

The Book Capital is selected by a team of literati and scholars assigned by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

By selecting a city as book capital, officials are assigned to develop the infrastructures for public libraries in the city and develop long-range plans to raise the reading rate.

Ahvaz for 2015, Neyshabur for 2016, Bushehr for 2017, and Kashan for 2018 were Iran’s previous book capitals.

Photo: Yazd Office of Culture and Islamic Guidance director Majid Javadianzadeh (R) receives Yazd’s Book Capital plate from Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri during the Festival of Book Loving Villages and Nomads at the National Library and Archives of Iran on February 23, 2019. Culture Minister Abbas Salehi is also seen in the photo. (Mehr/Majid Haqdoost) 

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