Navasard festival popular in Iran - official

ArmInfo. This year,  applications for participation in the Armenian-Iranian culinary and  cultural festival were received from 15 provinces of Iran. This was  stated by the cultural attache of the Iranian Embassy in Armenia  Mohammad Asadi Movahedi during a press conference on August 6.

However, given the restrictions in the format of the festival, only  culinary experts and artisans from 5 provinces will participate from  the Iranian side: Khuzestan, Esfahan Golestan, Kashan, Hamadan, as  well as from Tehran.

According to him, Iran will be represented within the festival by  three components: culture (national music, sports, exhibitions),  crafts and cuisine. If in the first year of the festival (2022) 6  pavilions of the Iranian side were installed on the territory of the  festival, then last year their number increased to 22. This year Iran  will be represented by 30 pavilions.

"This is a large and important cultural event that will have an  impact on strengthening Armenian-Iranian cultural ties. Our nations  have much in common, and organizing such events will help us get to  know each other better," said Mohammad Asadi Movahedi.

Chairman of the NGO "Development and Preservation of Armenian  Culinary Traditions" Sedrak Mamoulian spoke during a press conference  about the traditional "Navasard" competition between chefs from  Armenia and Iran, who will compete in three nominations: "Best  Taste", "Best View" and "Best Presentation". The plans, as he further  said, include making this competition international, inviting  representatives of a number of other countries as participants and  jury members.

Considering the experience of previous years, it is expected that at  least 5 thousand tourists will visit the festival, most of whom are  foreign citizens.

The festival will be held traditionally on August 10 in Sisian, from  16:00 to 22:30 in Sisak Nahapet Square. The event is held with the  aim of forming a single regional tourism product between Armenia and  Iran, strengthening cooperation and friendship between the two  countries, preserving the development and popularization of cultural  heritage, as well as forming the image of the Republic of Armenia and  the Syunik region as a stable, safe and attractive tourist  destination.

The next day, a scientific conference dedicated to Armenian-Iranian  cultural ties will be held at the Yerevan History Museum.

The festival is organized by the Tourism Federation of Armenia and  the public organization "Development and Preservation of Armenian  Culinary Traditions" with the assistance of the Tourism Committee, in  cooperation with the administration of the Syunik region of the  Republic of Armenia, the municipality of Sisian, the Cultural Center  of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Republic of  Armenia and the Consulate General of Iran in Kapan. It should be  noted that according to the Tourism Committee, 69 thousand Iranian  tourists visited Armenia in January-June of this year, which is 7% of  the total number of international visitors who chose Armenia as a  tourist destination.  In annual terms, this figure has increased by  19%.