Addressing the event, Iran’s cultural counselor in Austria said, “The Iranian-Islamic civilization was the result of Islam’s creative encounter with the ancient and deeply rooted Iranian civilization; a civilization that, with three thousand years of experience in state-building, an advanced administrative system, a profound philosophical tradition, and a continuous cultural heritage, achieved a new and unprecedented synthesis in interaction with Islam.”

Scholars and experts from diverse academic fields presented their views on various dimensions of Iranian-Islamic civilization.

During the opening ceremony, the first edition of the Iranology Book Award was presented. Named after the late Austrian Iranologist Bert Fragner, the prize was awarded to Sibel Wentrker of the Austrian Academy of Sciences for her translation and critical edition of five volumes of “Tarikh-e Vassaf,” a key historical source on Iran during the Mongol invasion and subsequent rule.

The conference also featured the official unveiling of the book “Austrian Iranologists,” published in German in Vienna by Unidialog Verlag, with the participation of prominent Austrian scholars.