Afghan artist Najib Mayel Heravi granted Iranian citizenship

The well-known Afghan expert on manuscripts, Najib Mayel Heravi, has been granted Iranian citizenship, announced the Director General of the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs of Khorasan Razavi Governorate General.

Mohammad-Taqi Hashemi added that granting Iranian citizenship to the Afghan artist who is living in our country was finalized on July 26 with the efforts and cooperation of all relevant ministries in the fastest possible way, IRNA wrote.

After an oath and taking a citizenship test, Heravi went through the legal stages of this process and his citizenship documents will be issued in the coming months, Hashemi said.

Born in Herat, Afghanistan in 1950, he is one of the most prominent researchers of his time and also a remarkable figure in Iranian studies, calligraphy and paleography.

In January 2017, Iran awarded Heravi for his lifetime achievements in the study of Persian manuscripts during a special ceremony for honoring the supporters of manuscripts in Tehran.

Heravi also received an award from President Hassan Rouhani for his lifetime studies on Islamic manuscripts at Iran’s Book of the Year Awards in Tehran in February 2015.

Since 1974, he has been completing a project entitled, ‘Bibliography of Sufi Writings in the Persian Language’.

‘Khasiate Ayenegi: A Criticism of Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani’s Biography with Selected Persian Writings’ is among his noteworthy credits.