TEHRAN – UNESCO has added two influential Iranian scholars — mystic Bayazid Bastami and philosopher Allameh Tabatabaei — to its official list of anniversaries to be celebrated worldwide during 2026–2027, the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO announced on Sunday.
The decision was approved during the 43rd session of UNESCO’s General Conference in Samarkand. Bastami, known as one of the earliest masters of Islamic mysticism, will be commemorated on the 1,150th anniversary of his passing, with support from Armenia, Tajikistan, and Turkey. 
The centenary of Allameh Tabatabaei’s scholarly life, recognized for his major philosophical work Principles of Philosophy and the Method of Realism, will be marked with the backing of Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Pakistan.
According to the Iranian National Commission, cultural and academic events will be held in Iran and abroad to honor both figures, highlighting their roles in shaping global thought on spirituality, philosophy, and intercultural dialogue.
Bastami (born circa 803 CE in Bastam, Semnan Province) is regarded as one of the founders of Persian Sufism. His teachings emphasized love, knowledge, and harmony with nature — values that UNESCO said align with its principles of lifelong learning and peace.
Allameh Tabatabaei (1903–1981) is known for bridging Islamic and Western philosophy and for his influential interpretation of the Qur’an, Tafsir al-Mizan. His collaborations with French philosopher Henry Corbin helped introduce Islamic philosophy to Western academic circles.
UNESCO’s 2026–2027 list also includes joint nominations supported by Iran and its neighbors, including Rabe’a Balkhi (Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran), Ayatollah Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (Iraq, supported by Iran, Japan, and others), and Baki, a 16th-century Turkish poet (supported by North Macedonia and Iran).
The choice reflects a deep continuity in Iran’s intellectual tradition — one that has, for centuries, moved between mysticism and philosophy, revelation and reason. Bastami’s ecstatic spirituality, centered on self-annihilation in divine love, shaped Persian Sufism and influenced poets like Attar, Rumi, and Hafez. His emphasis on compassion, lifelong learning, and harmony with nature feels startlingly modern, resonating with UNESCO’s own principles of peace and sustainable development.
By contrast, Allameh Tabatabaei’s thought represents a quieter, rigorous pursuit: the integration of faith and logic in a rapidly modernizing world. Living in 20th-century Qom, he refused the easy dichotomy between Islam and modern philosophy.