A selection competition started here in the capital, Tehran, earlier in the day with the participation of 13 Qaris and 17 memorizers of the entire Quran from 18 provinces of the country.

A five-strong panel of judges, headed by veteran Quran master Abbas Salimi, evaluates the performances of the contenders and names the best ones.

The top winner in each category (recitation and memorization of the entire Quran) will represent Iran in the upcoming international Quranic event.

The 4th International Quran Competition for the Visually-Impaired is slated to be held in Tehran in May 2019.

In the 2018 edition of the event, Mohammad Taqi Karimi from Golestan province and Omid Reza Rahimi from the province of Gilan competed for Iran.