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ammar ahmadi; vahid rashidvash; yaqub sharbatian semnani; ali baseri
Abstract
"At first glance, traditional dolls are considered a symbolic toy for girls and boys in most regions of Azerbaijan. Most regions have their own dolls that differ in terms of physical structure and symbolic social function. This case study focuses on ritual and symbolic dolls common among the people of ...
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"At first glance, traditional dolls are considered a symbolic toy for girls and boys in most regions of Azerbaijan. Most regions have their own dolls that differ in terms of physical structure and symbolic social function. This case study focuses on ritual and symbolic dolls common among the people of Ardabil province in the past and still continue in some rural areas. Traditional and ritual dolls among the people of different regions of Ardabil province represent the social role of women and men, in other words, they teach future social duties and responsibilities. The research method of this applied research is qualitative, focused on field analysis, which uses symbolic and interpretive anthropology theory in the analysis and interpretation of the problem. The originality of this research article lies in the rarity of such articles; the gap of this research in the field of case studies of Ardabil province was fully felt. The result of this research, in addition to introducing and preserving traditional dolls, in the myths and legends of these symbolic dolls, the temporal and spatial aspect has taken over the tone and structural color of Ardabil's culture. The climatic conditions of these dolls show that the place of the narrative is mountainous regions that have long and harsh winters and short summers.".
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Sajad Zoleykani; Elham Andaroodi; Asmar Shahbazi
Abstract
Confronting the ritual performance of Ta‘ziyeh—a religious passion play closely tied to Shi'a beliefs—raises the question of its potential influence in shaping or directing the lived culture of communities. In this context, the Ta‘ziyeh of Imam Husayn in the village of Talāvok ...
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Confronting the ritual performance of Ta‘ziyeh—a religious passion play closely tied to Shi'a beliefs—raises the question of its potential influence in shaping or directing the lived culture of communities. In this context, the Ta‘ziyeh of Imam Husayn in the village of Talāvok was selected as a case study. Talāvok, located in Dodāngeh District of Sāri County in Māzandarān Province, has continuously held Ta‘ziyeh performances on the eleventh day of Muharram since the Qajar era. The central question is whether Ta‘ziyeh in Talāvok has contributed to the formation of a distinct cultural structure—and if so, what are its manifestations and indicators? This qualitative study is based on two decades of fieldwork and interviews, including long-term residence in the village, direct observation of the Ta‘ziyeh and related events, and conversations with elders, local experts, and a wide range of villagers from Talāvok and neighboring communities. The aim is to explore the signs and dimensions of the relationship between Ta‘ziyeh and the community. The findings indicate that both tangible (rural fabric) and intangible (beliefs and behaviors) cultural elements have emerged in Talāvok as a result of the annual performance. The study reveals that the continued observance of Ta‘ziyeh has deepened communal devotion to Husayn ibn Ali and the narrative of Karbalā, giving rise to culturally embedded practices and beliefs closely intertwined with the performance and its symbolic meanings.
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Esmaeil Alipoor
Abstract
European travelogues about Iran are invaluable sources for Iranian Studies, offering insights into aspects of Iranian culture often overlooked or ignored by Iranian historians. However, these works may include exaggerations, subjective opinions, inappropriate generalizations, and biased political perspectives. ...
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European travelogues about Iran are invaluable sources for Iranian Studies, offering insights into aspects of Iranian culture often overlooked or ignored by Iranian historians. However, these works may include exaggerations, subjective opinions, inappropriate generalizations, and biased political perspectives. This study critically examines the portrayal of Iranian culture in Beyond the Caspian Sea by Arthur Christensen, a Danish orientalist and mythologist. Using a descriptive analytical approach grounded in imagology, the article explores the travelogue’s depiction of Iranian culture. Imagology, a comparative literature method, investigates the representation of the “self” through the “other” or vice versa, aiming to understand the reasons and mechanisms behind such cultural reflections. As an interdisciplinary approach, imagology intersects with cultural studies. The central question is why certain manifestations of Iranian culture and literature, observed during Christensen’s journey at the end of the Qajar era, gain prominence in the travelogue. Findings reveal that Christensen’s perspective is Eurocentric, shaped by inductive reasoning, stereotypes, and political biases. By emphasizing negative aspects of specific individual and environmental elements, he attempts to generalize them to the entirety of Iranian culture. This study underscores the importance of critically analyzing travelogues to better understand embedded biases and cultural reflections. It highlights the need for caution when approaching such sources, considering the influence of the author’s background, motivations, and perspectives. Ultimately, while Beyond the Caspian Sea offers valuable insights into Iranian culture, its potential biases necessitate a critical approach
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Rezvan Ahrar; Narges Zaker Jafari
Abstract
During the Safavid era, Music had a hight position and important place. Music was used in banquets, feasts and various court and social ceremonies. Also, Iranian music was influenced by religious and political currents. Apart from music history texts, Iranian music has reflected a lot in the travelogues ...
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During the Safavid era, Music had a hight position and important place. Music was used in banquets, feasts and various court and social ceremonies. Also, Iranian music was influenced by religious and political currents. Apart from music history texts, Iranian music has reflected a lot in the travelogues of Europeans of the Safavid era. For this reason, there are different and conflicting views on the quality and merit of Iranian music. In this research, the question is raised, what are the views of the travelogues towards Iranian music? To follow up and get the answer to this question, this research has selected four travelogues from the Safavid era, which have different characteristics of Iranian musical descriptions. These travelogues analyzed and investigated with Edward Said’s post-colonial theory. After the post-colonial reading from travelogues texts, if there are colonial concepts in these texts, their post-colonial concepts can be revealed and the objectives of these concepts can be followed. The current research, has selected the travelogues written by Raphael Dumans, Figueroa, Olarios and Chardin and analyzed them. The reason for this choice is that their reactions and encounters with Iranian music have been formed in different situations and different cultural and social conditions. According to the findings of this research; the authors of the aforementioned travelogues encountered Iranian instruments and music in different situations, circumstances and conditions. Therefore, different and various reactions have been expressed. Therefore, it is possible to introduce them in three separable groups. 1. Observation and generalized comment: non-interactive approach 2. Intellectual engagement and Field observations: non-interactive approach 3. Field observations and executive participation: interactive approach. This research has been conducted with the aim of investigating the music topics in the travelogues from the point of view of post-colonial theory in order to discover and identify the perspective of colonialism in the travelogues of Europeans during the Safavid period. The method of this present research is analytical and interpretive. Qualitative type was used for data analysis. The procedure of collecting information and data was done through the preparation of transcripts and receipts from libraries books, e-books and journals articles.
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majid montazer zohouri; Darywsh Barati Dasht Rahi
Abstract
The city of Susa, In the north of Khuzestan province, it is one of the first ancient places where extensive archaeological researches have been conducted. In 1947, the French archaeologist Roman Grishman managed to discover a building known as a monastery in the northeast of the mosque of the early centuries ...
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The city of Susa, In the north of Khuzestan province, it is one of the first ancient places where extensive archaeological researches have been conducted. In 1947, the French archaeologist Roman Grishman managed to discover a building known as a monastery in the northeast of the mosque of the early centuries of Susa, located in the northeastern vicinity of the early centuries' mosque in Susa. Initially, upon observing the alignment of the building's wall with the mosque, he speculated that the structure might have served as a governmental or palatial edifice. Then Monique Kervran introduces this building as Rabat or the Monastery. Now, based on the writings of Al-Maqdisi, a 4th-century geographer about his visit to a monastery in the city of Shush, we can highlight the influence of Sufism or mysticism in this city. The authors aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure and cultural significance of the monastery based on archaeological evidence. Does Shush Monastery have a structural connection with religious buildings and ideological systems before Islam, or is it derived from the foundations of the Islamic era? The following research used the descriptive-analytical method and the archaeological-historical order to address answers to raised questions. Archeological evidence indicates that certain architectural elements of the Susa Monastery are consistent with the Mehrkadeh from the Sassanid era found in southern Iran, which subsequently influenced the architecture of the middle and later Islamic periods. Some religious practices within the monastic system have their origins in pre-Islamic beliefs.
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Shahla Khalilollahi; Maryam Mousavi Joushaghani
Abstract
Tom Ledi believes that the aesthetics of everyday life allow us to speak about things that are not commonly addressed in traditional aesthetics; instead, it opens up a completely new realm of investigation for us. However, it can be said that this realm is closely related to conventional aesthetics. ...
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Tom Ledi believes that the aesthetics of everyday life allow us to speak about things that are not commonly addressed in traditional aesthetics; instead, it opens up a completely new realm of investigation for us. However, it can be said that this realm is closely related to conventional aesthetics. One of these areas is the aesthetics of everyday life regarding space, which delves into concepts of familiarity and strangeness, interpreting place and everyday matters in the living world. The notion of home as a space for living is more than just a physical structure; it is an imaginary and mental essence that is visible through certain works such as travelogues, which serve as a primary source of research in the realm of aesthetics of everyday life. Joubert's travelogue reports on the social history of Iran during the reign of Ali Qajar. The artistically descriptive depictions by the author, especially of locations, palaces, mansions, and houses, provide a foundation for interdisciplinary studies between literature and philosophy, reconstructing them with a fusion of aesthetic theories as a novel method for analyzing a travelogue text about Iran. This study, using a descriptive and documentary approach, answers the question of how the aesthetics of everyday life's spatiality are manifested in this travelogue. The findings of this research indicate that Joubert's judgments on mansions, palaces, houses, and other locations are shaped with words and concepts that demonstrate not only his progression from strangeness to familiarity but also his ability to depict the aesthetics of place with a sense of place and the spirit of place.
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Mansoureh Shahriyari; Abbasi sara
Abstract
contemporary Persian literature, the city is not merely a physical backdrop but a dynamic site for the formation of memory, meaning, and narrative agency. This article applies Kevin Lynch’s theory of the “image of the city” to a spatial reading of This Street Has No Speed Bump by Maryam ...
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contemporary Persian literature, the city is not merely a physical backdrop but a dynamic site for the formation of memory, meaning, and narrative agency. This article applies Kevin Lynch’s theory of the “image of the city” to a spatial reading of This Street Has No Speed Bump by Maryam Jahani, a novel awarded both the “Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic of Iran” and the “Jalal Al-e Ahmad Literary Prize” in 2017.The study’s theoretical framework draws on Lynch’s perceptual concepts—vitality, legibility, place identity, surveillance, agency, fit, and access. Using a comparative narrative-theoretical method, the research examines how mental design elements of urban space correspond to the spatial, linguistic, and narrative structures of the novel. Unlike prior studies focused on social or gendered themes, this article foregrounds the role of urban perception and spatial experience in shaping literary narrative.Findings reveal that urban spaces in the novel—such as the taxi “Elizabeth,” Vaziri Square, the Shahnaz neighborhood, and various urban markers—function not only as settings but as narrative agents of movement, interaction, and meaning-making. By bridging urban design theory and literary analysis, the article demonstrates that Lynch’s perceptual framework, despite its architectural origins, can be effectively extended to cultural and narrative inquiry, offering a valuable lens for interpreting urban experience in modern Persian fiction
