Nasser Khosraw travel itinerary writing contest, which was named after Nasser Khosraw Ghobadini, a Persian poet and traveller, whose famous work, Safarnameh, is an acount of his travels, is going to be held this Thursday (Feb/2/2012)

The main objectives of this contest are as follows:

- Promotion of travelling culture and etiquette,

-Introduction of destinations to tourists,

- Revival of travel itinerary writing ,

-Encouraging to writing about events happened, and

- Introduction of historic buildings, natural environments and diverse beliefs and religions, lifestyles, and traditions in Iran.

I am going to Europe from 18th up to 28th of Oct. And i want to write HAIKU as a travel report.

I will try to write some and this is the first one:

Fall

The silence of weekend

Only the sound of leaf journey

MARYAM JAVAHER NIA: The Kurdish lifestyle has been portrayed through the statues a Kurdish sculptor carves. “Osman Rahmanzadeh”, an illiterate mason and self-taught sculptor, reveals the lifestyle of not only the Kurdish but any other tribes, clans, and so on, who live in Iran.

Before carving his unique and petite living statues, he reviews the scenario, has been written in his mind. By carving them he directs the scene, which is played by the concrete and wooden actors and actresses who discourse in an imaginary conversation in a set decoration, which is decorated by pigments. The applied pigments add to the lifelike quality his statues have since the animated figures are represented by the naturalistic pigmentations.

The worldwide community of museums will celebrate International Museum Day around May 18, 2011. Museum and Memory is the theme of International Museum Day 2011. Museums store memory and tell stories. They have numerous objects in their collections that are basic to the memory of the communities we live in. These objects are the expressions of our natural and cultural heritage. Many of them are fragile, some endangered and they need special care and conservation. International Museum Day 2011 will be an occasion for visitors to discover and rediscover individual and collective memory.

Memory is a preoccupation for organisations beyond the museum community. ICOM has therefore initiated close institutional partnerships with the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme (World Documentary Heritage), the Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA), the International Council of Archives (ICA), the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).

IMD 2011 will focus on the African continent whose cultural contribution to the world is often unknown and deserves to be promoted.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to encourage public awareness on the role of museums in the development of society. Momentum has been rising unabated ever since. In 2010, International Museum Day garnered record-breaking participation with almost 30,000 museums hosting events in more than 95 countries.

Themes; International Museums Day:

2010 - “Museums for social harmony”
2009 - “Museums and tourism”
2008 - “Museums as agents of social change and development”
2007 - “Museums and Universal Heritage”
2006 - “Museums and young people”
2005 - “Museums bridging cultures”
2004 - “Museums and Intangible Heritage”
2003 - “Museums and Friends”
2002 - “Museums and Globalisation”
2001 - “Museums: building community”
2000 - “Museums for Peace and Harmony in Society”
1999 - “Pleasures of discovery”
1998-1997 - “The fight against illicit traffic of cultural property”
1996 - “Collecting today for tomorrow”
1995 - “Response and responsibility”
1994 - “Behind the Scenes in Museums”
1993 - “Museums and Indigenous Peoples”

Tour Guide, Life Diversity, Responsibility

Iranian tour guides celebrated 21st of February in harmony with UNWTO’s slogan
This year, Iranian tour guides by help of tour guide trade unions of different provinces celebrated tour guide world day on February 21st in the city of Ramsar(north of Iran) to maintain the sense of identity and to emphasize job duties and goals with view of nature touring.
Simultaneously with other countries,Tour guides from all over Iran celebrated 21st of February, one of the most important conventions of tour guides, in the city of Ramsar, located in Mazandaran Province, for the 4th year. More than 400 tour guides attended in this ceremony from different provinces such as Tehran, Esfahan, East and West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Khorasan, Khuzestan, Semnan, Qazvin, Kerman, Golestan, Gilan, Mazandaran and the local people Who provide local houses, foods and tours for the passengers.
According to UNWTO’s slogan, “ Tour Guide, Life Diversity, Responsibility ”, and simultaneously with 40th anniversary of signing the world convention, Ramsar Convention (emphasizes the protection of world lagoons), this year the ceremony was held in Ramsar based on nature touring from 19th to 21st.
Developing knowledge of tour guides
At the first day, 12 workshops were held in university. It included different subjects such as introducing tourist attractions of Iran, Lake Urmia and threatening dangers, photography in nature, garbage and cleaning nature during trip, communication skills, knowing GPS, role of expertness in tourism, security and rescue in nature.
Using recyclable dishes
The second day program included two parts. In the morning, tour guides had new experience in Ramsar cable-cars and in the evening, they went to “ Chaldare “ area in Tonekabon and participated in sports matches. They watched “ Gile mardi “ wrestling (it can be registered as an intangible heritage) accompanied by local music. Handicrafts, local clothing, foods and drinks were noticeable for tour guides. To serve lunch, they used recyclable dishes to emphasize protecting nature. At the end, tour guides cleaned the area.
Cultural meeting with experts and tour guides
After the tour guides returned from “ Chaldare “, they saw Ramsar museum. At the same time, there was a cultural meeting in ” Negin “ restaurant. The audience were special guests:
1. Bijan Farhang Darre Shouri, ecologist and nature photographer.
2. Naser Karami, journalist and environment expert.
3. Mehdi Nabieian, writer.
4. Alireza Naderi, entomologist and butterfly expert.
5. Mahmoud Sakhtbaz, one of the most skillful tour guides about hunting tours.
6. Houman Jokar, expert in wildlife and ecotourism.
7. Fakhr o sadat Ghani, expert in nature touring.
8. Kamran Kamali, writer.
9. Hormoz Emami, director.
10. Iraj Milani, documentary film maker.
11. Representatives of trade unions in different provinces and tourism journalists.
In this meeting, the experts and journalists talked about environmental subjects and its relation with tourism and the role of tour guides. Before the meeting was finished, tour guides entered the restaurant but they didn’t make any problem.

 
World registration of Hirkani jungles
At the last day, before the ceremony, there was an exhibition that the representatives of different provinces presented their brochures and packages of cultural products to introduce their activities about tourism. Also, tourism journals and the sponsors attended. This year like the other years, the ceremony began at 9:57A.M. 21st of February to emphasize the importance of punctuality. The ceremony included some speeches, giving gifts and performing live music. The active persons in tourism, best tour guides and the sponsors were praised and tour guides demanded to register Hirkani jungles in UNESCO as one of natural heritages and also they wanted the municipality of Ramsar to name one of the streets in this city with the name of tour guide. As the permanent symbol, the statue of ceremony is being transferred to the place of ceremony, and this year, the statue was delivered to the representative of Ramsar by the representative of East-Azerbaijan.

Reported By: Azadeh Attar - Translated By: Somayeh Mahdavinia

2010
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
 
The music of the Bakhshis of Khorasan Iran (Islamic Republic of) 
The Pahlevani and Zoorkhanei rituals Iran (Islamic Republic of) 
The ritual dramatic art of Ta‘zīye Iran (Islamic Republic of) 
Traditional skills of carpet weaving in Fars Iran (Islamic Republic of) 
Traditional skills of carpet weaving in Kashan Iran (Islamic Republic of)

2009
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
 
Novruz, Nowrouz, Nooruz, Navruz, Nauroz, Nevruz Azerbaijan – India – Iran (Islamic Republic of) – Kyrgyzstan – Pakistan – Turkey – Uzbekistan 
The Radif of Iranian music Iran (Islamic Republic of)

1980: Tourism’s contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to peace and mutual understanding
1981: Tourism and the quality of life
1982: Pride in travel: good guests and good hosts
1983: Travel and holidays are a right but also a responsibility for all
1984: Tourism for international understanding, peace and cooperation
1985: Youth Tourism: cultural and historical heritage for peace and friendship
1986: Tourism: a vital force for world peace
1987: Tourism for development
1988: Tourism: education for all
1989: The free movement of tourists creates one world
1990: Tourism: an unrecognized industry, a service to be released (”The Hague Declaration on Tourism”)
1991: Communication, information and education: powerlines of tourism development
1992: Tourism: a factor of growing social and economic solidarity and of encounter between people
1993: Tourism development and environmental protection: towards a lasting harmony
1994: Quality staff, quality tourism
1995: WTO: serving world tourism for twenty years
1996: Tourism: a factor of tolerance and peace
1997: Tourism: a leading activity of the twenty-first century for job creation and environmental protection
1998: Public-private sector partnership: the key to tourism development and promotion (Host: Mexico)
1999: Tourism: preserving world heritage for the new millennium (Host: Chile)
2000: Technology and nature: two challenges for tourism at the dawn of the twenty-first century (Host: Germany)
2001: Tourism: a toll for peace and dialogue among civilizations (Host: Iran)
2002: Ecotourism, the key to sustainable development (Host: Costa Rica)
2003: Tourism: a driving force for poverty alleviation, job creation and social harmony (Host: Algeria)
2004: Sport and tourism: two living forces for mutual understanding, culture and the development of societies (Host: Malaysia)
2005: Travel and transport: from the imaginary of Jules Verne to the reality of the 21st century (Host: Qatar)
2006: Tourism Enriches (Host: Portugal)
2007: Tourism opens doors for women (Host: Sri Lanka)
2008: Tourism Responding to the Challenge of Climate Change and global warming (Host: India)
2009: Tourism - Celebrating Diversity (Host: Africa.)
2010: Tourism & Biodiversity (Host: China.)

From 11 of Sep. up to 19 of Oct. i am in India. You can see the photoes in below address:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/nooraghayee

YU YUAN GARDEN
Location:
Yuyuan Garden, located in the southern part of Shanghai, is a famous classic garden. It is characteristic of the architectural style of the Ming dynasty.
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These days i am traveling in some cities of INDONESIA. If you are interesting, see some pictures of my travel in below address:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/nooraghayee/INDONESIA