The Iranology In Poland session was held at the international stall of the House of the Literati on the sidelines of the 25th Tehran International Book Fair on Sunday, May 6, 2012.

IBNA: The session was held in the presence of Adam Yashkevski, PhD candidate of Iranology in Warsaw University, Alireza Dolatshahi, writer of the Polish in Iran and a curator of the Malek National library, and Dr. Mohsen Jafari Mazhab, a member of the scientific board of the National Library and Archives Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In his address, Dr Mazhab began with an introduction of the Iranology Foundation in Iran saying, “The Iranology Foundation is an affiliate to the House of the Literati of the Book House. The center was intended to communicate with Iranologists in Iran and collect their experiences subject to their consent.”

As he added the term Iranology is defined in two ways and the session was being held to address the second definition of the term which is reviewing studies of others about Iran.

“Poland may be considered a remote country for Iranians; however, when reviewing historical documents, we understand that Iranians have hosted the Polish since the Safavid era,” he added.

It can be said that Iranology in Russia originated in the studies held by the Polish, he posited.

According to Dr. Mazhab, in Poland, Iranology began with a religious façade. As a Christian nation circled by Muslims and Protestants, Poland has been the target of religions Catholic invasions. During the Safavid era, Christian evangelists entered Iran most of whom were Polish.

As he said, Iranology by the Polish began by an Armenian in Iran after their entrance to the country. Armenia has always been acted like a liaison between Iran and Poland.

Three main centers are active in Iranology studies in Poland: Warsaw University, Cracow university and another center which is now operating in Ukraine which used to be Poland in a region which is not considered Ukraine so far as Polish borders have been floating throughout history and have constantly changed.

Later in the session, Adam Yashkevski said, “Right now Iranology is being taught in the universities of Cracow and Warsaw; however, there are other universities that present Persian language studies.”

Also Dolatshahi delivered a speech in which he stated that the first Polish translation of Sa’adi’s Golestan was done in 1610 by a Polish. “Generally speaking, the Polish have been more in contact with the Persian language than other European nations,” he said.

The 25th Tehran International Book Fair is being held at Tehran's Grand Imam Khomeini Prayer Ground and will run through May 12, 2012.

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