Iran (IMNA) - During the meeting, Mojtaba Shahmoradi, expressed his hope that the meeting would be the beginning of bilateral relations between the cities of Isfahan and Konya.
"Konya is of overriding importance for Iranians due to the mausoleum of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, a Persian Sufi mystic, being located in this city. In the same way, Isfahan's Takht-e Foulad (a historical cemetery) is considered as a kind of Persian mysticism cradle due to the many mystics and scientists being buried there," he added.
The head of Isfahan Municipality's Department for cultural, social and sports affairs reminded that, "there is a kind of affinity between the two cities as Konya was the capital of the Seljuks of Rome and Isfahan used to be the seat of Iran's Seljuk Empire."
Noting that Rumi's poems have brought moral values in the mind of all people, he went on to say that, "Isfahan and Konya enjoy a common mystical, literary and Islamic heritage, and even they share similarities on architecture."
Referring to the Citizen Diplomat project,Shahmoradi said, "Iranians and Isfahani people living all over the world play the role of cultural ambassadors and, in coordination with Isfahan Municipality, could hold cultural programs in their cities of residence. In this regard, exhibitions and events could be arranged for cultural exchanges between Isfahan and Konya in the city of Konya; taking the tomb of Saeb Tabrizi being in Isfahan into consideration, an event called Rumi's Cultural Week in Isfahan and Saeb Tabrizi's Cultural Week can be held in Konya. "
Ahmet Sorgun, a representative of Konya in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and a former adviser to the President, also expressed his satisfaction for visiting Isfahan after 25 years, and remarked, "Isfahan is a city that should be visited again and again at varying times; you must see 'half the world' in close-up."
"When we were strolling in the streets of Isfahan, it was as if we were walking in the streets of Konya," Hasan Kılca, the Mayor of Konya's Karatay said.
He called Isfahan as Iran's city of music and added, "The city of Konya has been hosting a traditional music festival for 18 years on the occasion of Rumi's birthday, which had been attended by great Iranian musicians before the coronavirus outbreak. I hope we can hold joint festivals and strengthen our ties. "
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