TEHRAN – Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, who was martyred in a U.S. terrorist attack in January, has been selected as the theme for an art competition in which crafters of various fields could enter.  

The Cultural Heritage, Tourism, And Handicrafts Department of Ardebil province is organizing the art contest in the fields of toreutics, miniature, woodcarving, pottery, and leather engraving, deputy provincial tourism chief Nasser Mahmudi announced on Thursday. 

Interested artisans and crafters are asked to submit their artworks before December 24, the official noted. 

Selected artworks will be put on show in one of the province’s cultural heritage museums, he said.  

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

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

General Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, was assassinated in a U.S.-drone strike near Baghdad International Airport. The attack — that also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) anti-terror group, along with several others— came while General Soleimani was on an official visit to the Iraqi capital.

ABU/AFM