Berlin To Host 11-nation Nowruz Festival

Berlin, Mar 16, IRNA -- Berlinˈs renowned Ethnological Museum will host an 11-nation Nowruz fest for the second consecutive year, Iranˈs Ambassador to Germany Ali-Reza Sheikh Attar told IRNA. The cultural event is to showcase traditional music, handicrafts and food from 11 countries -- Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Last year, numerous German officials and foreign diplomats as well a s hundreds of Germans, among them many families, attended the special Nowruz fest. Meanwhile, Turkeyˈs embassy is to also stage an official Nowruz fest as each of the 11 countries are to host the event every year on a rotating basis, according to Sheikh Attar. Furthermore, there will be numerous Iranian Nowruz celebrations in many major German cities, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg. An estimated 300 million people worldwide celebrate Nowruz, with traditions and rituals particularly strong in the Balkans, the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions, the Caucasus, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East. The United Nations and UNESCO have recognized March 21 as the International Day of Nowruz./end