Calligraphy: An Expression of Iranians’ Appreciation of Beauty and Spirituality
A ceremony honoring Master Gholamhossein Amirkhani, one of Iran’s distinguished figures in the art of calligraphy, was held on 19 October 2026 under the title “The Resonance of the Pen,” in recognition of his decades of valuable efforts to advance this art.
In his address at the ceremony, Dr. Hassan Fartousi, Secretary-General of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, described calligraphy as an expression of Iranians’ appreciation of beauty and spirituality. Referring to the inscription of the art of calligraphy on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021, he emphasized the need for cooperation among cultural institutions and artists to promote this heritage internationally and pass it on to future generations.
The ceremony was attended by a number of cultural, artistic, political and economic figures, including Dr. Mehdi Jahangiri, Founder and Chairman of the Tourism Financial Group; Dr. Mohammad Bigdeli, Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Bank; Eng. Seyed Mohammad Beheshti, researcher of Iranian culture and civilization; Dr. Mohammad Talebi, Governor of Kerman Province; Dr. Aydin Mahdizadeh, Director-General of Visual Arts at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance; as well as a number of professors, artists and students of Master Amirkhani.
Eng. Seyed Mohammad Beheshti, a prominent researcher of Iranian culture and civilization and a member of the National Committee for Cultural and Natural Heritage of The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, described calligraphy and the Nastaliq script as symbols of the connection between beauty, creativity and thought in Iranian culture. He also described Master Amirkhani and other leading figures in this art as valuable cultural assets of the country, whose standing and contributions deserve recognition and appreciation.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Golden Medal of the Tourism Financial Group was presented to Master Gholamhossein Amirkhani by Dr. Jahangiri, Founder and Chairman of the Tourism Financial Group, in recognition of his decades of valuable efforts to advance the art of calligraphy in Iran and train successive generations of artists.
The ceremony was hosted by the Tourism Financial Group and Tourism Bank, in collaboration with the Mahan Cultural and Artistic Institute.
