http://tajikam.com

TEHRAN,Oct. 5 (Mehr News Agency) -- Iranian experts have begun the restoration process of the mausoleum of Rudaki in Panjrud near Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

A group of expert tile craftsmen from Neyshabur Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department will complete the restoration and renovation process of the mausoleum within a month.

The tomb was constructed on an octagon plane with a rotary dome representing the architectural style of Attar's mausoleum in Neyshabur, Khorasan Razavi Province.

The dome covering an area of 100 square meters will be covered with turquoise-colored tiles in the planetarium style.

Born in the village of Rudak (Panjrud) in Khorasan, now located in present-day Tajikistan, Rudaki was the first great literary genius of the modern Persian language who composed poetry in "New Persian," which is written in the Perso-Arabic alphabet script.

Most of his biographers assert that he was totally blind, but his accurate knowledge of colors shown in his poems makes this very doubtful. Of the 1,300,000 verses attributed to him, only 52 elegies, ghazals and quatrains remain. 

 By Azar Balkhi

Following up on the police riot at Balkh University on September 25th, the students went on hunger strike today. The police assault happened when a group of students placed a banner on the university gate that said “Danishgah e Balkh” which translates to “Balkh University” in English.

Students claimed that it is their right to have the sign in Persian and Pashtu, because both are official languages according to the constitution. They added if it’s an accurate democratic state then people should perform their civil rights devoid of any problems.

Since Balkh is a Persian-speaking province, students insisted the banner should not be in Pashtu or at least it has to be written in two languages. But suddenly police forces surrounded the building and started beating up the students with weapons, which injured 42 boys, two disappeared and then Police crowded into students dormitory kicked the entire apprentice and arrested many of them.

Today September 28th university students protested and announced their hunger strike and demanded that the University sign should be in Persian also because it is the tongue of the majority.