Comprehensive Cultural Atlas of Markazi Province

About Comprehensive Cultural Atlas of Markazi Province

An Overview of the Comprehensive Cultural Atlas of Markazi Province

The "Comprehensive Cultural Atlas of Markazi Province" is the name given to a set of 14 book titles, compiled to document the core and foundational topics of the province’s culture. The project officially commenced on 27/2/1389 (Persian calendar), and over a period of two full years, involved 14 principal researchers, 14 supervising professors, and approximately 150 research collaborators (directly), resulting in around 7,000 pages. It was published in two formats: a digital software version and a printed edition, made available to researchers and enthusiasts.

The necessity of compiling this monumental work became a primary concern for cultural officials in the province when scattered research materials — dispersed across various books and articles — made access difficult, and sometimes impossible, for researchers.

Accordingly, the Provincial Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance resolved to produce this Atlas. Implementation began with a policy focused on building upon existing works and filling in missing gaps, using library-based, field, questionnaire, and interview methods, aiming to map the province’s cultural landscape — to show policymakers and cultural planners: Where were we before? Where do we stand now? And what horizons lie ahead?

Thus, with a deeper understanding of the province’s capacities and potentials, they will be able to avoid duplication, identify gaps, and select the best path toward cultural advancement — without wasting time or resources, or overlapping efforts — taking firm, confident steps toward the peaks of victory and happiness.

Now that the Atlas has been completed, we proudly feel that any researcher who picks up a pen to write about Markazi Province will inevitably be compelled to search within the pages of these books for the information they need — and no writer can consider themselves independent of it.

However, it must not be assumed that this monumental work is flawless in form or content. Just as encyclopedias and dictionaries — which have their own dedicated institutions — require continuous revision, annual updates, and corrections; this collection — despite all its precision and attention to detail — also requires amendments, deletions, and additions, the responsibility for which falls upon future generations who are devoted to and passionate about the province — those who are not afraid to put pen to paper, and who understand that “an unwritten text contains no errors,” and that sitting back to criticize is far easier.

General Specifications of the Volumes

1 - Sacrifice and Martyrdom, Author: Ahmad Yarmohammadi, Supervisor: Dr. Mirnabi Azizzadeh, Pages: 156, Album: 472.

2 - Notable Figures, Authors: Group of Authors, Supervisor: Dr. Mohsen Zolfaghari, Pages: 508.

3 - History, Author: Mohammad Javad Moradi Nia, Supervisor: Dr. Abdollah Motavalli, Pages: 404, Album: 640.

4 - Cultural Geography, Author: Mahdi Mahmodi, Collaborators: Khalq Ali Shamlu, Supervisor: Dr. Mahmoud Ziaei, Pages: 725, Album: 360.

5 - Media, Author: Mahmoud Zendehdel, Collaborators: Ali Bakhshi, Supervisor: Dr. Sayyed Reza Naghib al-Sadat, Pages: 286, Album: 336.

6 - Leisure Time, Author: Saeed Mousavi, Collaborators: Mohsen Mobaraki, Supervisor: Dr. Farzad Nowabkhani, Pages: 237, Album: 288.

7 - Demographics, Author: Majid Al-Taha, Collaborators: Akram Shamsi, Supervisor: Dr. Mohammad Sajjad Yari Zadeh, Pages: 452, Album: 24.

8 - Ethnic Groups, Tribes and Migrations, Author: Alireza Nasseri, Supervisor: Dr. Hassan Adelkhani, Pages: 224.

9 - Language and Dialects, Author: Hassan Adelkhani, Supervisor: Dr. Sayyed Behnam Alavi Moghaddam, Pages: 320, Album: 16.

10 - Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Author: Mohammad Hossein Farmehini Farahani, Supervisor: Dr. Mojtaba Rezvani, Pages: 324, Album: 75.

11 - Education and Upbringing, Author: Mohammad Ali Parvizi, Collaborators: Abolghasem Kazemi, Supervisor: Mohammad Ali Kamali Nezhad, Pages: 208, Album: 48.

12 - Higher Education, Author: Masoumeh Daneshmand, Collaborators: Zarain, Supervisor: Fath Abadi, Pages: 640, Album: 12.

13 - Bibliography, Author: Hossein Sobhani, Supervisor: Dr. Mohsen Zolfaghari, Pages: 560.

14 - Folk Culture, Author: Gholam Ali Valashjardi Farahani, Supervisor: Dr. Ne’matollah Fazli, Pages: 532, Album: 72.

It should be noted that the page counts above do not include the “Index of Personalities” pages — which, due to the nature of the software, will only be available in the printed edition.

Additionally, the names and details of all contributors to the Atlas — whether researchers or administrative staff — will be fully listed in the introduction to properly acknowledge their dedication and efforts.

Images:

During the compilation of the Atlas, thousands of old and new photographs related to each topic — showcasing diverse aspects of the province — were collected. A selection of these images has been included as separate photo albums at the end of each volume, within the available space. Naturally, it was impossible to include all images in the volumes; thus, it was proposed to present all photographs in a separate volume for the benefit of interested readers.