RASHT DESIGNATED AS UNESCO CREATIVE CITY OF GASTRONOMY
Launched in 2004 and now comprising 116 Member Cities, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims to foster international cooperation with and between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.
Rasht, the capital city of Gilan Province, has made it into UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network for its gastronomy (the practice or art of choosing, cooking, and eating good food). Rasht is now among 47 cities from 33 countries that are part of the network in seven creative fields — crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music.
Khabaronline.ir on December 13 released a report on inclusion of Rasht in the UNESCO list. The following is a brief translation of the report:
The city’s mayor has said that designation of Rasht as a UNESCO Creative City of gastronomy is a major step toward introduction of brand names based in the city. Mohammad Ali Sabet-Ghadam further said that at a gathering in Paris on Wednesday UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, announced the designation of 47 cities from 33 countries as new members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. He further said that Rasht is the only Iranian city which was designated as a creative city in terms of cookery, adding that Isfahan was selected as a creative city in terms of crafts and folk art.
“The UNESCO Creative Cities Network represents an immense potential to assert the role of culture as enabler of sustainable development. I would like to recognize the many new cities and their countries that are enriching the Network with their diversity” declared the Director-General, as UNESCO celebrates in 2015 the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Sheida Mahnam, Ph.D., UNESCO Manager of Social and Humanity Sciences, said that a number of Iranian cities could make it to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network list. On December 11, UNESCO announced the decision of the jury which revealed that two Iranian cities have been recognized as creative. She went on to say that UNESCO’s decision is a golden opportunity for Rasht to turn around its tourism industry, expressing hope that Iran can be an active member of the UN Creative Cities Network and – as a result – absorb more tourists and revenues to the northern city.