Sound Museum Planned for Tabriz 2018 Event

The private sector plans to launch Sound Museum in Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province, in preparation for the Tabriz 2018 event.

In December 2015, Tabriz was selected as the capital of Islamic tourism for 2018 by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, ILNA reported.

The museum features over 300 items, including musical instruments and related objects, collected during the past three decades by Hossein Sajedi, musician, author and researcher.

"The primary goal of the museum is to preserve and introduce Iran's valuable musical treasure and promote tourism in the province," he said.

Elaborating on different sections of the museum, Sajedi said a section has been specified for musical instruments, including bowed string, percussion and wind instruments.

It has a comprehensive archive of recorded music, comprising a collection of Adhan (the Islamic call to worship at prescribed times of the day) by various muezzins (people who recite the call for prayers), Qur'an recitations, Ta'zieh-Khani (a religious theater performance based on the martyrdom of the third Shia Imam), Chavosh Khani (a special ritual held to mark the departure of a pilgrim) and other local musical ceremonies and events.

The museum will display age-old radios, phonographs, discs, film projectors, black-and-white televisions and old sound recorders.

Officials hope that such cultural centers will increase the popularity of the city among tourists and contribute to tourism development, especially during 2018.    

The capital of the northwestern province of East Azarbaijan, Tabriz predates the Islamic conquest of Persia. It served as the capital city of a number of dynasties following the conquest.

During its long history, the city was ransacked by Mongolian raiders and Ottoman invaders and razed by devastating earthquakes, but was rebuilt every time.

The city hosts famous sites, including Jame’ Mosque, Arg-e Tabriz (citadel) and Tabriz Bazaar, of which the latter has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.