Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 24
By Khalid Kazimov – Trend:
The Iranian city of Mashhad has been officially named as the cultural capital of the Islamic world in 2017 during a ceremony held in the holy city on Jan.24.
Shahindokht Molaverdi, Iran's vice-president for women and family affairs, has said that the role of women in the Islamic societies should be studied during such events, IRIB news agency reported.
She further said that the event would have a constructive impact on holding dialogue between the various Islamic sects.
Mashhad city is home to the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam Reza.
In 2011, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), which is associated with the Organization of Islamic Conference, launched the initiative for three cities to be named each year as such capitals throughout the countries in Asia, the Arab region, and the African region, which house considerable Muslim populations.
On Tuesday, Mashhad was awarded the title by Deputy Director General of the ISESCO Amina al-Hajri at a ceremony attended by ranking Iranian officials and 250 cultural and political figures from 51 world countries.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials plan to increase the number of religious tourists to almost six million in the next two years.