TEHRAN, May 8 -- The 35th Tehran International Book Fair kicked off on Wednesday with an opening ceremony attended by several senior Iranian officials, the official news agency IRNA reported.

Nearly 2,700 publishers took part in the exhibition, which will continue until May 18, said Iran's Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Yaser Ahmadvand.

About 100 foreign publishers from 25 countries displayed up to 50,000 books during the event, while Yemen was attending as a special guest, the IRNA reported.

The fair is also being held virtually simultaneously, available to visitors round the clock, according to the IRNA.

Several cultural events will be held during the exhibition, including special ones about Gaza and Palestinians, said the report.

The previous edition of the exhibition attracted an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 visitors each day, said the IRNA.

  - Xinhua