TEHRAN – On Monday, the 16th edition of an international festival of Iranian nomads & tribal economy was launched in the ancient city of Gorgan, northern Iran, among a crowd of various tribes and curious visitors.

Along with Iranian nomads, tens of tribespeople and exhibitors from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan take part in the five-day event to highlight their cultural heritage and tourism magnetism.

Organizers hope to encourage more domestic and overseas tourists and holidaymakers to visit nomadic tribes.

Highlights of the festival include traditional music, folk dance, workshops, and cultural and culinary shows to name a few.

The festival is intended to establish bonds between various nomads. A cultural heritage expert stressed the need to reinforce cultural ties between the nomadic tribes of the ancient land. “Iran is a rainbow of different ethnicities, which have lived together for millennia,” Ata Hassanpur said.

Iranian nomads mainly live in the provinces of Fars, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Khuzestan, Isfahan, and some other provinces. They usually change between their winter quarters in steppes (Qishlaq or warmer areas) and summer quarters in green mountainous regions (Yeylaq or cooler countryside).

Sightseers may visit nomads at different times of the year. However, the best seasons are spring and summer. There are several nomadic tribes you can meet or stay with, each of them having its own unique lifestyle, culture, customs, foods, and musical performances.

Held every year on May 21, the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue in achieving peace and sustainable development.

The United Nations General Assembly first declared this World Day in 2002, following UNESCO’s adoption of the 2001 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, recognizing the need to enhance the potential of culture as a means of achieving prosperity, sustainable development, and global peaceful coexistence.

AFM