The start of the 2nd Mazaarat International Photo Festival"
According to Shahrara News, Amir Mehdi Hakimi, CEO of Astan Quds Razavi Art Institution of Afarineshha and Secretary of the 2nd biennial Mazaarat International Photo Festival mentioned at the press conference of the start of this festival: "Mausolea are among the origins of developments in the Islamic world and the formation of civilization in different parts of the world."
He added: Due to crucial role mausolea play and the importance of using artistic tools in introducing the cultural works of religions, Mazaarat International Photo Festival has decided to hold its 2nd edition. Hakimi noted: The first edition of this festival was held during the outbreak of Corona Virus, and parts of the judging and even the exhibition of the selected works of the festival were held virtually. However, with the provision of a favorable environment, this year, in addition to holding the festival in person, the exhibition of the works of the 1st edition has also been displayed for the audience. He added: This festival will be held in 2 categories of "Islamic mausolea" and "Prayer". In the 1st edition of the festival, the category of Prayer was dedicated to Islamic countries. But in the 2nd edition, the category of Prayer in different religions has been taken into consideration. "Amin Ebrahimi", the executive secretary of the 2nd Maazarat International Photo Festival, also presented a report on the 1st edition of the festival in this press conference. He added: Out of these works, 6234 works belong to 909 Iranian photographers from 31 provinces across the country and 1833 works belong to 259 foreign photographers from 33 countries. Ebrahimi pointed out that the total amount of prizes for this festival is 7500 Euros, including the prizes of the first to third place in each section and the special prize of the festival director. He added: Submissions will start on May 6 and will continue for 40 days. After that, the judging process will begin and finally, the closing ceremony will be held on July 1. Also, in another part of this press conference, Hojat al-Islam "Mustafa Faqih Esfandiari", the deputy of international affairs of Astan Quds Razavi and a member of the political council of this festival, while expressing some points about the importance of artists' attention to the issue of mausolea and pilgrimage sites, said: "Mazaarat Festival is held with a civilizational perspective, in addition to the fact that other artistic fields besides photography and holding other festivals with these categories can also be considered.