Ali Juma who is of Shirazi origin made the request in a meeting with Morteza Rezvanfar, a faculty member of Research Institute of Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Orgnization.
According to RICHT Public Relations Office, Rezvanfar is currently in this region to provide identification cards for the Iranian monuments in Tanzania and Kenya.
RICHT quoted Rezvanfar as saying that in separate meetings with the culture minister, head of the cultural heritage organization and mayor of Zanzibar, coordinated by Iran’s Cultural Attaché Hojatoleslam Baqeri, mechanisms for the protection of joint Iran-Zanzibar cultural heritage were reviewed.
He noted that the mayor of Zanzibar Stone Town announced readiness to supply the required construction materials for the purpose.
He said that local officials of Zanzibar are interested in Iranian expertise to help restore the large Iranian bathroom in the main part of the Stone Town.
Rezvanfar stressed that the building over the long time has many visitors from different countries every day.
He said restoration and reconstruction of many other works were reviewed in the meetings, including a small Iranian bathroom, Shahrzad Bathroom and the oldest mosque in east of Africa named Fatemeh Zahra Mosque.
He further remarked that immigration of Iranians from Shirazi origin to East Africa started some one thousand years ago and establishment of cities and local governments by them has initiated the widespread relations between Iran and Africa.
According to him, later the Baluchis, the Shooshtaris, the Kazeroonis and the inhabitants of Siraf Port immigrated to those areas and left monuments for heritage.
He said fortunately many works from the Iranian migrants have been left in East Africa including Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia and the Comoros, adding that a great number of them are located in the Zanzibar Island, a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania.
Rezvanfar concluded by saying that most people of Zanzibar confirm their Shirazi origin and presence of hundreds of Persian words in their language, including the name Zanzibar, and ancient remains are common heritage which is viewed by them with high respect.
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Zanzibar minister requests Iranian expertise to protect national heritage
Dec 11, 2016, 4:11 PM
News ID:
82342088
Tehran, Dec 11, IRNA - Zanzibar Culture Minister Ali Juma requested Iran’s expertise to protect cultural heritage in his country, especially the monuments built by immigrant Iranians, ICHHTO said on Sunday.
