The opening ceremony of the scientific conference commemorating Hakim Abulqasem Ferdowsi with the theme "Recognizing the role of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh in today's national identity" was held on Sunday, May 14, 2023 at the Faculty of Literature of Ferdowsi University in Mashhad, with the presence of Mahmoud Shaloui, President of the Association of Cultural Artifacts and Figures, Murodjon Buriboev, President ECO Cultural Institute, Mohammad Hosseinzadeh, Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Khorasan Razavi and a group of university professors and cultural heads of Khorasan Razavi province.
Mr. Murodjon Buriboev, the President of ECO Cultural Institute, also delivered a speech at this conference, stating, "Shahnameh is the birth certificate of the people of our region, therefore the message of Shahnameh knows no borders or regions."
He continued to point out the importance of Shahnameh among the works of Persian literature, stating, "It is difficult to say new things about Hakim Ferdowsi. Ferdowsi lived in a turbulent and eventful time in history. Surrounded by these obstacles, he feared that Iran's history would be forgotten, so he worked day and night to bring the Shahnameh to its inception."
The President of ECO Cultural Institute emphasized, "Shahnameh is an ocean full of gems, whose author has expressed myth, history, philosophy, enduring concepts of wisdom, knowledge, patriotism, wisdom, and statesmanship rituals in the form of epic poems."
In the end, he added, "Hakim Ferdowsi embellished the Shahnameh with wisdom, which in his view is equally worthy to life. He believed that wisdom will lead a person to happiness and salvation, whilst ignorance and lack of wisdom will lead to destruction."
It is worth mentioning that a public conference, with a speech delivered by the respectful Governor and Mayor of Mashhad, was held in Ferdowsi Mausoleum in the city of Tous, to commemorate this great day until late at night.