Noruz and Iranian Diplomacy

First of all, best wishes for a happy Noruz to all! There is a fascinating article up at Iran Economist that explores the possibilities for Iranian cultural diplomacy based on appreciation for traditions of the Persian New Year. The (unsigned) article asks if Noruz could become part of an Iranian cultural diplomacy effort in the Islamic world, bur particularly the Caucuses and Central Asia. Iran ought to focus on these areas, the author suggests, because they spent a much longer time as part of the Iranian cultural and political sphere (Iran zamin) and continue to celebrate Noruz traditions like making samanu and displaying green wheat sprigs.

PS. The above gorgeous photo of a haft sin (the traditional display of seven items all beginning with the letter “s” to celebrate Noruz is courtesy of Flickr user Hamed Saber under a Creative Commons license