The second advanced workshop on Persian manuscriptology and paleography was launched at the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Cultural House in New Delhi, India on Dec. 25, with a number of Indian and Iranian professors and students in attendance, IRNA reported.

The one-week workshop is jointly held by the Persian Research Center of Iranian Embassy’s Cultural Department in India and Tehran Written Heritage Research Institute.

Addressing the participants, Iran’s Cultural Attache emphasized the importance of Persian language and literature in the two countries’ cultural history.

Morteza Shafiei Shakib regretted that Persian language is no longer spoken in India. “Therefore, we need to preserve Persian manuscripts as the two country’s common heritage.“

He said although editing manuscripts is not an easy task, “it is the best service we can render to the posterity for the preservation of our cultural heritage.“

Gholamreza Jamshidnejad and Jamshid Kianfar from Tehran’s Written Heritage Research Institute, Persian language professor of Delhi University Sharif-Hussein Qassemi, chairwoman of New Delhi Islamic National University’s Persian Studies Department Qamar Ghaffar, Younes Jafari, Shobair Ahmad and several other professors and students from Indian universities attended the workshop.

The executive in charge of Persian Research Center of Iran Culture House, Ataei, said 30 master’s and Ph.D. students from higher education institutes such as Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Aligar Islamic and Banaras Hindu universities attended the workshop.