TEHRAN – A massive art festival was launched on Sunday in Tehran and Khorramshahr to celebrate the 41st liberation anniversary of the latter from Iraqi occupiers. 

The southwestern Iranian city was captured in its entirety by Iraqi invaders on October 26, 1980 after a 34-day-long public act of resistance against the Iraqis during the early months of the Iran-Iraq war.

The city was liberated on May 24, 1982, after it was totally reduced to rubble by the Iraqis.

The art festival entitled “My Home Is Khorramshahr” is being organized by the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization.

“Khorramshahr was Iran’s major city that was totally engulfed in the flames of the war and its liberation was the greatest victory for Iran,” Art Bureau deputy director Ali Foruzanfar said in a press conference on Saturday.

“It is really important to celebrate the liberation anniversary of the city, because it is not an isolated historical event,” he added.  

As part of the festival, a 3-day exhibition displaying a collection of artworks created on Khorramshahr during the 1980s opened on Sunday at the Khaney-e Mellat Gallery of the Iranian Parliament.

The artworks have been selected from the Art Bureau’s treasure trove.

An exhibition of photos depicting scenes of the military operation that led to the liberation of Khorramshahr will open on Monday at the Iranian Photographers Center.

Five murals created by Nasser Palangi on the walls of the Jame’ Mosque of Khorramshahr will be restored by a renowned artist in a 20-day project beginning on Wednesday. The mosque was used as a headquarters for resistance movements.

The murals portraying scenes of the battle against Iraqi invaders were drawn a few days after the liberation of Khorramshahr.    

On Monday, the Khorramshahr War Museum, also known as the Khorramshahr Sacred Defense Museum, will unveil busts Mohammad-Ali Jahan-Ara, Behnam Mohammadi and Mohsen Vezavai, all of whom were martyred during the Khorramshahr battle.

Seyyed Saleh Musavi, a brave resistance movement survivor of the Khorramshahr battle, will be honored during the festival. The bare-chested, 20-year-old Saleh armed with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher fought bravely against the Iraqi invaders. 

The organizers also plan to launch an award named after Behruz Moradi, an artist who was martyred during the war. The award will be given to a war photographer every year. 

Photo: A poster for the festival “My Home Is Khorramshar”.

MMS/YAW