(5 Oct 2015) LEAD IN:
A famous landmark in Tehran is being illuminated at night to give out a message of world peace and freedom.
The event, designed by German artist Philipp Geist, coincides with the 25th anniversary of German Unity.
STORY-LINE:
This iconic landmark is awash with light and colour that fills the night sky.
Spectators snap images of the Azadi Tower - Liberty Tower in English - on their smartphones.
The Tehran monument doesn't always look like this.
Over four days it's being illuminated to coincide with celebrations to mark a quarter-century of Germany Unity.
The 'Gate of Words' event, which was organised at the request of the German embassy in the Iranian capital, aims to bring the two nations closer together through art and culture.
Words such as "Love", "Freedom", "Peace", "Hope" and "Courage" adorn the tower in Farsi, German and English - music accompanies the moving lights.
The show is the brainchild of German artist Philipp Geist.
"I'm very interested about this dialogue between architecture, places, the surroundings and to create my light paintings," he says.
The Berlin-based artist has travelled around the world and created light installations in Brazil, Thailand and the United States among other places.
Geist says the famous Tehran tower, built in 1971, is the perfect place for his art.
"For me it is a gate and a symbol. It's not a closed gate, you can walk inside, you can walk through. It has different point of views, for me it's a gate, a place where people come together, so where you can enter something. It's also symbolic of freedom and peace."
Residents of Tehran have come out to view the spectacle.
"It's very good that pedestrians passing by are reminded of words such as peace, reconciliation, culture and freedom," says Maryam Yusof.
For Ehsan Saeedi, the music and lights are captivating.
"Somehow it resembles a sense of life. The words represent concepts and they are interweaved and the music creates something like an illusion. It all creates a surreal feeling," Saeedi says.
And for Shayesteh Karimi the show contains an important message.
"The keywords used among the colours create a feeling of life, friendship, sympathy and speaking the same language."
On Saturday Germany marked a quarter-century as a reunited nation.
West and East Germany united on October 3, 1990, capping a process that started less than 11 months earlier when the east's communist leadership opened the Berlin Wall under pressure from massive demonstrations.
The 'Gate of Words' event in Tehran runs until Monday night.

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