The Cultural Representation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Sofia, the Union of Bulgarian Journalists and Spectrum 21 Century Association are the organizers of the photo exhibition "Glimpses of Contemporary Iran".

It was opened on July 19th at Sofia Press Gallery and the Diplomatic Spectrum was her media partner. The event brought together a large audience of the Bulgarian cultural elite and the diplomatic corps in Bulgaria.

Photographs of Bulgarian journalists who visited Iran in February 2017 at the invitation of the Cultural Representation of the country in Sofia were presented at the exhibition. The authors of the exhibition - Ms. Snezhana Todorova, Chairman of the Management Board of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists and Mrs. Ekaterina Pavlova, Editor-in-Chief of the Diplomatic Spectrum website, said that the purpose of the trip was to familiarize with the life in modern Iran and to create contacts with colleagues from the Iranian media. The impressions of their one-week stay on Iran's economic, social, cultural and media developments were shared by them in a number of publications. And the great amount of illustrative material - photos from Isfahan and Tehran, the two cities they visited - provoked the idea of ​​the exhibition.

During the opening the Chair of the Board of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists Ms. Snezhana Todorova thanked Mr. Mohammad Ali Kiani, Counselor for Cultural Affairs and Head of the Cultural Representation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Sofia, for this journalistic visit and expressed hope for future exchanges between colleagues from the two countries. She handed him the Honorary Plaque with a certificate of the SBU for his merits in the development of the cultural and media cooperation between Iran and Bulgaria during his term in Sofia. Mr. Kiani thanked for the award and stressed that the exhibition fits well in the context of the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the cultural exchanges between our two countries. He cordially invited Bulgarians to visit Iran and to get acquainted with his country - ancient and modern.

Ms. Ekaterina Pavlova, Editor-in-Chief of the Diplomatic Spectrum website and author of most of the photographs in the exhibition, said that during the visits to Iran's media and cultural institutions, people had often expressed their appreciation of the work of Mr. Kiani in Bulgaria, while Dr. Abbas Hamayar, vice-president of the Organization for Islamic Culture and Relations, had emphasized his enormous role in expanding the cultural exchanges between our countries. And he jokingly had remarked that he was not only a cultural attache of Iran in Bulgaria but also of Bulgaria in Iran. After that Ms. Ekaterina Pavlova presented the exhibition.

"Glimpses of Contemporary Iran" is divided into three thematic series. The first one is "Tehran 2017" and includes 12 photographs: of Azadi Tower - a symbol of the Iranian capital, Milada Tower, the Mausoleum of the Imam Khomeini, Golestan palace, the historical complex of Saadabad and the famous tourist area with restaurants Darbind.

The second series is dedicated to "The People of Iran" and contains 14 photographs. It shows them as they are – on the streets, in the museums, the bazaars, the places where they work, the restaurants ... Several pictures also show the march of February 10, the national holiday of IR Iran.

The third, "Isfahan is half the world", contains 12 captured flashes in the third largest city of Iran, once the capital of the Persian Empire. An old Persian proverb says that if you see it, you've seen half the world. The photos show famous sights: the Chehel Sotun palace with its fine Persian garden, the Armenian church, Isfahan's covered bridges and, of course, Naqsh-e Jahan Square - The Face of the World. Built by Shah Abbas I the Great, it is a true splendor of "Isfahan blue" and gold. Most of these masterpieces of Persian and Islamic architecture are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. See more HERE.

The harp performance of Zornitsa Gecheva contributed to the atmosphere of the evening. The Iranian businessman, Mehrdad Meghdadi, presented wonderful pieces of traditional Iranian craftsmanship.

In the photo above: Mrs. Snezhana Todorova, Chairman of the Board of the Union of Bulgarian Journalists, Mr. Mohammad Ali Kiani, Counselor on Cultural Affairs and Head of the Cultural Representation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Sofia and Ms. Ekaterina Pavlova, editor-in-chief of the Diplomatic Spectrum site. Photography: Krassimir Pekov

In the photos below:
1. The awarding of the Honorary Plaque with an MBA certificate to Mr. Mohammad Ali Kiani, Counselor on Cultural Affairs and Head of the Cultural Representation of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Sofia. Next to him - Halil Duraliev, employee of the Representation. Photography: Marie Kanalyan
2. Suzan Mouzi, who is in charge of the Embassy of the Lebanese Republic in Bulgaria, the pop singer Hristo Paskalev - Paskal and Ekaterina Pavlova. Photo: Gergina Dvoretska
3. Journalist Gergina Dvoretska, Website "Europe and the World" and Prof. Alexander Fedotov, Director of the Centre for Eastern Languages ​​and Cultures at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". Photo: Marie Kanalyan
4. The Iranian businessman, Mehrdad Meghdadi, with pieces of traditional Iranian craftsmanshi Photo: Marie Kanalyan
5. At the opening of the exhibition, the Diplomatic Spectrum Team had another celebration - the birthday of the journalist Aneta Penny! Photo: Marie Kanalyan
6. Marie Kanalyan in front of the photo of the Armenian cathedral in Isfahan
7. Posters from the exhibition
8. The harpist Zornitsa Gecheva. Photography: Krassimir Pekov