Iranian New Year 1398 is named as the “Year of Ferdowsi”.  Pasargad Heritage Foundation (PHF), observing its annual tradition, and on the occasion of “Nowruz” – the Iranian festival and celebration of the beginning of Spring and Persian New Year – has named the year 1397 (Iranian Calendar) as the “Year of Ferdowsi”. Every year, on the advent of beginning of Iranian New Year (which coincides with the beginning of spring), Pasargad Heritage Foundation (PHF) designates a name for the coming year that signifies and symbolizes a certain aspect of its mission. PHF is an organization established a decade ago outside Iran with the aim of preserving Iranian cultural heritage and has observed this practice of designation of the New Year for the last ten years. The main purpose is to emphasize the priceless values of the ancient cultural heritage of Iran that are exposed to constant destruction due to negligence of the relevant authorities in that country.

Ferdowsi Tusi (c. 940–1020), (also spelled, Firdawsi, Firdusi, Firdosi, Firdausi) was
a Persian poet and the author of Shahnameh ("Book of Kings"), which is the world's longest epic poem created by a single poet, and the national epic of Greater Iran.

Ferdowsi is celebrated as the most influential figure in Persian literature and one of the greatest in the history of literature.

The Pasargad Heritage Foundation Presents:

The Nowruz Award March 21, 2019.

This press release has been published by the Pasargad Heritage Foundation to the Personalities of the Year for their vision and efforts to preserve the national, cultural, historical, and natural heritage of Iran that also belongs to all humanity.

Dr. Shahrokh Razmjou is the recipient of “The personality of the year” award, in the category of “Cultural and Historical Heritage.”

Dr. Shahrokh Razmjou, is an archeologist, researcher, university professor and a Member of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran in the Department of Archeology.
Dr. Razmjou is also the translator of a new updated translation of the text on the Cyrus Cylinder from Babylonian to Persian.
He receives the 2019 Personality of the Year Award” for:
– His several decades of research on the intangible values of Iran’s national historical
heritage
– His extensive research on the relationship between the charter and personality of Cyrus
– His writings and broad reaching work on new and contemporary look at the relevant and
important influences of ancient and medieval history on Iranian history
– Establishing the Inscriptions Hall at the National Museum of Iran
– Establishing the Centre for Achaemenid Studies at the National Museum of Iran

Bio

Shahrokh Razmjou is an Iranian archaeologist and historian, specializing in Achaemenid
Archaeology and History. He received his Ph.D in Achaemenid Archaeology at the University of
London. In 1998-1999, he established the Inscriptions Hall and later in 2001, the Centre for
Achaemenid Studies at the National Museum of Iran. Between 2009 and 2012, he was curator
of Ancient Iran in the Department of the Middle East at the British Museum, and during this
time, he produced a new updated translation of the text on the Cyrus Cylinder from Babylonian

to Persian. Dr. Razmjou has worked widely on Persian heritage and also excavated the ancient man-made caves of Niyasar, Kashan.

Dr. Razmjou has written extensively on Achaemenid Archaeology. Some of his outstanding work include: “Left Unfinished: The ‘Unfinished Gate’ of Persepolis as Key Evidence for Architectural and Construction Procedure at Persepolis”, Stories of Long Ago, Festschrift für Michael D. Roaf, eds. H. Baker, K. Kaniuth and A. Otto, Alter Orient und Altes Testament 397, Münster: 481-495 (2012), and “Persepolis: A Reinterpretation of Palaces and Their Function”, The World of Achaemenid Persia: History, Art and Society in Iran and the Ancient Near East, Proceedings of a conference at the British Museum 29 September-1 October 2005, eds. J. Curtis and St. J. Simpson, I.B. Tauris, London, 231-245. His earlier notable writings included “Religion and Burial Customs”, a chapter in: Forgotten Empire, the World of Ancient Persia, 150-180, and “The
Palace”, with J. Curtis, a chapter in: Forgotten Empire, The World of Ancient Persia: 50-103, published by British Museum Press in 2005.

Dr. Razmjou is currently teaching at the Department of Archaeology, University of Tehran.

Professor Seyed-Emami is the recipient of 2019 “Nowruz Award for Personality of the Year in the Field of Environment and Natural Heritage.”

Dr. Kavous Seyed-Emami was a sociologist, environmentalist, university professor, co-founder
and director of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation. We honor Professor Kavous Seyed-Emami posthumously for his life of dedication and hard work on behalf of Iran’s natural heritage and his tireless efforts devoted to conservation and preservation in Iran. Professor Seyed-Emami is the recipient of 2019 “Nowruz Award for Personality of the Year in the Field of Environment and Natural Heritage” for:
– His comprehensive planned projects for the preservation of Iran’s natural and environmental heritage
– For his extensive work on implementation of projects for rare animal habitat projects in Iran and Asia focusing on protecting and saving them from extinction
– For his efforts to bring together international researchers and experts in the field of
environmental subjects and assist them in order to help Iran’s environment
– For organizing programs in order to inform and educate people about the environmental
issues in Iran and assisting artists to engage people about the environment.
– For his decades of tireless struggles, devoted determination and a dedicated life to
preservation of Iran’s natural heritage.

Bio
Kavous Seyed-Emami (1953–2018) was an Iranian-Canadian university professor and a prominent environmentalist. Professor Seyed-Emami was a Western-educated Iranian and returned to Iran after the Iranian Revolution and fought in the war against Iraq. He later started his academic career as the professor of Sociology at Imam Sadiq University in Tehran and a visiting scholar at the University of Lethbridge in 2017. He was one of the founders of the
Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation (PWHF), a private non-profit organization dedicated to the
conservation and preservation of wildlife in Iran, which he led before his death.

Professor Seyed-Emami was arrested by the Iranian government and in February 2018, Iran’s judiciary claimed that he committed suicide while in detention in Evin Prison, Tehran, because of the evidence against him in a spying case. This claim, including the alleged suicide, has been vehemently rejected by his family.

Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland offered her condolences and stated that Canada expects” the Government of Iran to provide information and answers into the circumstances surrounding this tragedy.” She welcomed the return of Seyed-Emami’s sons back to Canada in March 2018 and asked the Government of Iran to lift the travel ban on Seyed-Emami’s spouse, Maryam Mombeini.

We honor Professor Kavous Seyed-Emami posthumously for dedicating his life to conservation and preservation of Iranian Natural heritage.

Mr. Parviz Sayyad, playwright, director, producer and actor of theater and cinema, is the recipient of 2019 “The Norouz Award for Best Artist of the Year in Theater and Cinema. He
receives this award for the following reasons:
– For his tireless decades of efforts and a life dedicated to Iranian cinema and theater both in Iran and in exile
– For his life time of artistic and creative ingenious on behalf of Iranian cinema and theater with exceptional artistic standards
– For creating lasting characters in Iranian cinema and theater
– For commitment to art and paying special attention to artistic values
– For his devotion to human rights and not forgetting human rights violations in Iran, and its
reflection on simple and popular drama.

Bio

Parviz Sayyad is unquestionably one of the best known Iranian actors and comedians of the
pre-revolution era in Iran. Even today, decades after the Iranian revolution, Mr. Sayyad is still a household name among Iranians. He is a showman, actor, talented comedian, director, screenwriter and producer of many TV shows and Iranian cinema. One of the most memorable characters he has played was actually created by him. The character “Samad”, a naive innocent country-boy, mischievous with a heart-of-gold whose views of life around him are simple, plain and to the point. Samad through his childish take on life, hinted at political/cultural issues of the time. The character Samad has been compared with Chaplin’s Tramp, and as a result, Mr. Sayyad is often referred to as Charlie Chaplin of Iran.

His first film, the comedic Hasan Kachal (1970), or “Hasan the Bald”, is well remembered. He later gained more fame starring in one of the oldest Iranian TV series “;OKTAPUS” playing the role of a well-mannered, diplomatic yet sneaky and soft-spoken board member. However, his real cinematic break came with one of the most famous Iranian TV series “Sarkar Ostovar” when he created and played the role of “Samad”.  After that, Sayyad went on to star in the famous “Samad” film series (somewhat reminiscent of the American “Ernest”series). His character, Samad (or Samad Agha, as he demanded others to call him), was a prominent comedic icon of Iran during the 1970s. His 1977 film Dead End was entered into the 10th Moscow International Film Festival.