Tehran - The “Iran, the Homeland of Damask Rose” conference will be held on November 17 at Tehran University of Medical Sciences.

 

Iraj Rastgar, the conference secretary and head of the Iran Damask Rose Museum, described the Damask rose as Iran’s national flower and a centuries-old cultural heritage.

 

“For thousands of years, the Damask rose has held a special place in the economic, social, cultural, and religious life of Iranians. It is deeply woven into our national identity,” he said.

 

Highlighting the importance of securing international recognition for the flower under Iran’s name, Rastgar noted, “Saudi Arabia has already registered it globally as the ‘Taif Rose,’ and Turkey is seeking to register Damask rose extract under the name ‘Isparta’ in the European Union.

 

Holding this conference is an important step in raising national awareness and reaffirming Iran’s status as the original homeland of this treasured flower.”

 

Rastgar added that Iran, with more than 30,000 hectares under cultivation, is the world’s largest producer of Damask rose. The flower, he said, spread from Iran to the Ottoman Empire, then to Syria, and eventually to Europe.