German City Hosts 4th Hafez Festival

Berlin, Oct 7, IRNA - The East German city of Weimar which is a twin city of Shiraz, hosted the 4th Hafez festival on Friday honoring the renowned Iranian poet, according to IRNA. Attended by German and Iranian officials, among them Iran's Ambassador to Germany Ali-Reza Sheikh Attar, Weimar's Mayor Stefan Wolf and the deputy mayor of Shiraz, the festival showcased also a carpet and handicraft exhibit as well as a music performance. Addressing the festival, Weimar's mayor said the annual event, dating back to 2008, was aimed at fostering relations between both peoples. Wolf stressed Hafiz had also left an impact on the global cultural and literature scene. Pointing to his recent visit to Iran, Wolf called for further promotion of ties between Berlin and Tehran. Echoing Wolf's remarks, Sheikh Attar hailed Weimar's top official for his efforts to boost bilateral relations. The Iranian envoy reiterated that the school of thought by Hafez and his great German counterpart Johann Wolfgang Goethe should be the base for deepening bilateral ties in not only the cultural but all spheres. Weimar is also home to a stony chair monument in honor of Goethe and Hafez./end