TEHRAN -- French Orientalist and expert on Hafez, Charles-Henri de Fouchecour is convinced that Iranian literature is one of the most sophisticated in the world.

“Art, culture, and literature are the best means of communication between nations,” said De Fouchecour, in a ceremony held in his honor in Shiraz on Thursday.

Several Iranian and French university lecturers, provincial managers, and French diplomats attended the ceremony, which was held at the mausoleum of Hafez.

“The Iranian nation can present their most precious assets, that is, their literary texts, to the world and thereby communicate with it,” De Fouchecour added. Shiraz is home to many great poets and is considered one of the major literary cities of Iran and the world, he said, adding, “In the world of today, which is filled with danger, we need the advice of Hafez more than at any other time, and the poetry of Hafez contains warnings for all nations.”

He further noted that this is his sixth trip to Shiraz, and that he has experienced some of his happiest moments in this city. De Fouchecour is famous for his translation of the Divan of Hafez.

He served as the director of the Iranology Department of l’Institut Français in Tehran, from 1975-1979.

His work in the field of classical Persian literature is vast. He was the founder and director of Abstracta Iranica, which is a bibliographical and critical review of Iranian Studies.

He has published about 50 articles on Persian literature.