TEHRAN, Dec. 31--Iran could have learnt a lot from Iraq's experience in the vandalizing of its museums and artifacts following the US0-led invasion in March 2003, observed the director of Bam Citadel reconstruction project.
Eskandar Mokhtari pointed out that Iran's artifacts are not only vulnerable during wartime but also when natural calamities occur.
"Bam earthquake and the destruction of the famous citadel should be considered a turning point in the field of safeguarding cultural heritage sites and crisis management of historical sites," he added.
Noting that Iran's cultural artifacts are quite vulnerable in times of war, floods and earthquakes, Mokhtari added that while crisis management of cultural heritage sites in times of war and natural disasters has considerably improved in the past decade, Iran has no experience in crisis management. More than 80 percent of archeological sites in the city of Bam were totally destroyed as a result of the earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale on December 26, 2003, he recalled.

TEHRAN, Dec. 31--The recording of the Symphony of Sacrifice by distinguished composer Majid Entezami has been completed in Pop Studio.
Head of the Martyrs Foundation Hossein Dehqan and the veteran actors of stage and screen were present in the studio for recording of the groundbreaking symphony.
The composer told Fars news agency that he is interested in mixing a poem on the symphony. "If we could not find a satisfactory poem for the symphony, we will keep it untouched," he said.
"I'd like to mix a poem on the symphony to give it a global theme conveying a message to the international community. We have prepared the platform which will be updated for the Ten-day Dawn Celebrations which marks the anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution," he said.
Speaking in the ceremony, the head of the Martyrs Foundation said that sacrifice and devotion are the concepts that Iranian nation displayed when their country was exposed to a surprise attack in 1980 by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
With the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian nation had gained victory in February 1979 liberating the country from US domination. The nation dismantled the army and laid off army personnel so no defense force was available to defend the country when the Iraqi regime exploited the opportunity to capture both western and southern cities of Iran.
The late Imam Khomeini called for a civil defense to deal with the surprise attack. The nation mobilized civil defense and rushed to the frontiers to defend the country against the aggression. Iranian defenders had a shotgun while the Iraqi army was armed to the teeth with several hundred tanks and personnel carriers.
"The symphony aims to convey to the next generation the Iranian nation's sacrifice in defending their country as well as the Islamic values," Dehqan said.

Arg-e Bam before the quake

TEHRAN, Dec. 31--'Another Birth and Phoenix', which both deal with contemporary Iranian verses ranging from the time of the famous poet Nima Youshij to the present, have been translated into Chinese language by Mohong Jan, a researcher and author at the Chinese Social Sciences Academy.
Fars news agency quoted the Public Relations Department of Islamic Culture and Communications Organization as saying that the book are the outcome of Jan's tireless efforts for three years. For the first time a Chinese researcher has focused on the works of prominent Iranian poets.
Second volume of the book 'Another Birth', which features poems by 20 Iranian contemporary poets is also being published under a new title 'Translation of Selected Pieces from Iranian Blank Verses'.
The two-volume publication will provide an overall view of Persian classical and contemporary literature.
The research work was selected as a top book in 2004 by the Chinese Social Sciences Academy.
Beijing University Publishing House undertook the publication of the 414-page book in cooperation with Iranian Cultural Center in that country.

Two of the pictures which will be displayed in France.

TEHRAN, Dec. 31--An exhibition of photos from Golestan Palace Album-Khaneh will be held in Paris once agreement to that effect is signed between Iran and France.
According to ISNA, one of the well-known French photographers along with his colleague arrived in Iran to review Golestan Palace's photo album early this week.
Director of Golestan Palace Museum Parvin Sadr-Seqatolesalmi said that given the fact these photos date back to the Qajar era and were taken by Nassereddin Shah or his photographer of the country's historical monuments, this collection should not be relocated.
French photographers will survey the album and choose some photos for display in Paris, after reviewing the conditions of the two sides.
Golestan Palace Album-Khaneh, which has the second most extensive collection in the world after the British Royal Palace, includes photos featuring Iranian historical works, which can be used for repairing various old sites, she said.
Album-Khaneh displays a collection of photos from the Qajar era as well as photography equipment used during that period.
Nassereddin Shah was interested in photography. The photos taken by him or the ones featuring his handwritings are on display at Album-Khaneh.

TEHRAN, Dec. 31--In line with Article 166 of the Third Development Plan (2005-2010) Law, a new establishment to preserve historical monuments will be set up in Tehran Municipality.
The article stipulates that municipalities of cities in which historical monuments are located, will include a department for drawing up proper management strategies on the maintenance of the cities' historical texture.
With less than three months remaining for the end of the Third Development Plan, Tehran City Council is currently in talks with Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization's officials with the aim of formulating a special management within Tehran Municipality to focus the city's historical monuments.
Deputy director of ICHTO for technical and maintenance affairs, Qadir Afarvand said that the establishment of new office to look after historical monuments is the most effective way of doing away with parallel moves and forge further interaction with the city's management to preserve Tehran everlasting values.
"In the wake of interaction and collaboration between Tehran Municipality and district municipalities, better administrative approaches for safeguarding the city's cultural heritage will be adopted," he noted.
Meanwhile, chairman of Majlis Cultural Commission, Rasoul Khadem, said that with the implementation of Paragraph B of the Article 166 of the Third Development Plan Law, part of ICHTO's responsibilities on the maintenance of Tehran's cultural heritage sites will be delegated to the municipality.
Lack of an integrated management for dealing with the maintenance of the cities' historical monuments has posed challenges for municipalities and ICHTO, he noted.
A large number of Tehran's historical monuments are located in District 12. Not to mention that the city is home to more than 2,000 historical residences.

LOS ANGELES,
Dec. 31--Nearly 270 feature films have joined the battle for the 2005 best picture Oscar, organizers revealed, but only five will win coveted nominations when they are unveiled next month, said AFP.
The 5,800 Academy Award voters are faced with a dizzying choice of 267 movies as they begin considering their list of contenders for nominations for cinema's ultimate prize.
"Nomination ballots and a complete list of the 267 eligible films were mailed this week to members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences," the Academy said.
Voters now have less than three weeks to sift through the mountain of films before returning their completed ballots no later than January 15.
Nominations for the 77th-annual Academy Awards will be unveiled before dawn on January 25, launching the final frenzied phase of Hollywood's awards season.
Only five films will win nominations for best picture, forcing studios to do desperate battle to win Oscar voters' attention with a blitz of television, radio and trade paper advertisements focused on industry types in Los Angeles and New York.
The 'For Your Consideration' ads have been filling entire pages of publications, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and entertainment industry bible Daily Variety for weeks.
But a month ahead of the nominations announcement, clear frontrunners have emerged from the din of Hollywood 'buzz'--the insider scuttlebutt among those who vote for the award winners.
Oscar pundits say that Martin Scorsese's Howard Hughes biopic 'The Aviator', Clint Eastwood's boxing flick 'Million Dollar Baby' and Alexander Payne's road movie 'Sideways' appear to be shoo-ins for best picture nods.

TEHRAN, Dec. 31--Concurrent with Iran's Cultural Week in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 31-Jan. 7, Iran's Youth Cinema Association will screen 11 short films, documentaries and animation films at the event.
Iranian Embassy in Saudi Arabia and Islamic Culture and Communications Organization are collaborating in holding the program.
The association had earlier screened six movies and 10 short films in Baku, as well as organized a program titled 'Iran's Modern Cinema Week in Azerbaijan'.
Iran's short films include 'At the Iranian Market' (Rahbar Qanbari), 'Circle' (Mohammad Shirvani), Golestan (Ali Qavi-Tan), 'Charshou' (Mahvash Sheikholeslami), 'Hives of Sun Land' (Mohammad Reza Arab), 'Metal's Dervish' (Mahmoud Yar-Mohammadlou), 'Melikan' (Minoo Kiani), 'Flower' (Bijan Mirbaqeri), 'Rule of Game' (Nader Tariqat), 'Pegah' (Mandana Karimi) and 'Kindness Den' (Kianoush Abedi-Zamani).