Tehran Times � The performance style of Iran�s icon of Islamic eulogy, Salim Moazzenzadeh Ardebili, was made a National Intangible Cultural Heritage item on Tuesday.

The eulogist of the Prophet Muhammad�s household had his own unique style, which was then followed by his numerous disciples who dubbed him �the king of Iran�s eulogists�, although he used to perform most of his eulogies in the Azeri language.

His full life and decades of eulogy performances were celebrated during a mass funeral for Moazzenzadeh Ardebili in his hometown Ardebil in November 2016 when he passed away at the age of 80. He is buried at Ardebil�s Beheshte Zahra Cemetery.

A number of officials of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) and Ardebil Province attended a ceremony organized at Ardebil�s Beiza Library to announce the decision to register the item on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

�Master Salim Moazzenzadeh Ardebili�s style is part of the province�s cultural and historical identity,� the director of CHTHO Office for Registration and Restoration of Intangible and Natural Heritage, Mostafa Purali, said at the ceremony.

�He preserved the Islamic eulogy principles that remained from the Safavid era, and the CHTHO registered his style to observe his heavenly voice, teachings and service,� he added.

In his short speech, Nader Fallahi, the director of the Ardebil Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, said, �Master Salim Moazzenzadeh is really part of Ardebil�s spiritual heritage. His expertise in the melodic modes of Persian music helped him progress in Islamic eulogy and made him internationally famous.�

Photo: Eulogist Salim Moazzenzadeh Ardebili performs in an undated photo.