Blog

Today I donated a dry qanat to the Museum of Water. This is a collection of publicly donated water – with accompanying stories. The Museum is meant to provoke thought about our relationship to water: how we cherish it – but usually take it for granted. All the donated stories and containers of water tell …

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“My Stealthy Freedom” is getting lots of media attention. But the idea of “uncovering-as-freedom” is fraught with historical baggage. And some women are doing the opposite of these Iranian women. Syahirah describes how “they are not media darlings for pushing the boundaries of personal freedom. Instead, they are terrorists, bad citizens and ungrateful immigrants. I …

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A freak dust storm killed 4 in Tehran 2 June 2014. It wasn’t as long-lasting as the dust in Ahvaz, or the dust export from Hamun. But it is another reminder of the environmental hazards in Tehran.             Read more, and see the video on the BBC site.

Again, the BL blog comes up trumps. Another digitised Persian manuscript is available to us all – and it’s another glorious Khamsah of Nizami. This story never goes away – a Deccan version of the book sold for £194,500 at the April Sotheby’s auctions; and I’ve already signposted how the BL gave me a way-in …

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There are said to be more Jews in Iran than any other Muslim country- although many more are recorded by the local Jewish authorities than in the Census. Here’s a video peek inside some of the synagogues in Iran. Plus a link to a Jewish view of the local Jewish community.

Today’s Sotheby’s sale set a new record for Qajar portraits. At just under £3M, this portrait of Fath Ali Shah was a snip. I especially like the clear image of the four-pointed jewelled Kayanid crown – set with pearls, emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. This was used in modified form by Fath Ali’s Qajar successors, including …

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Following on last week’s review of public art in Mashhad, thanks to Rustin Zarkar – now I want to share some images of the Shahnameh in Mashhad, also thanks to Rustin. In 2010, the Administrative Office of Artistic Affairs set aside the walls of Ferdowsi Square and Ferdowsi Boulevard (four kilometers northwest of downtown Mashhad) …

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Rustin Zarkar has written a lengthy and very interesting article about public art in Mashhad for Ajam Media Collective. This – and especially the images – deserve more than one posting. As across Iran, public art in Mashhad previously concentrated on images related to the Iran-Iraq war. More recently, there have been attempts to diversify …

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