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IRAN
(PERSIA)
Cradle of Civilization
( PART 6 )
GENERAL MEHI RAHIMI
The Brave Iranian general who shouted: “long live the king”, when he
was being shot by the criminal terrorist mullahs and their thugs
He will live in our hearts and minds as the
most courageous Iranian general,
For ever
Source: http://aryamehr11.blogspot.com/2007/05/in-lovingmemory-of-general-mehdi.html
GENERAL MANUCHEHR KHOSRODAD
Major General, Imperial Iranian Army Aviation
Head of Special Forces
Major General Khosrodad was the first head of the Special Forces and at the time of execution was Major General
of the Imperial Iranian Army Aviation. He had studied at American Defense Academy and the French military school,
Saint Cyr, and he mastered English and French. He was a helicopter pilot, Head of Equestrian Federation, and a
champion in jumping on horseback. He also liked skiing. His colleagues remember him as a talented and effective
manager; a loved and respected commander. Major General Khosrodad was not an affluent man and did not abuse
his position to collect wealth. He had no security concern and prior to the Lavizan incident, when four criminal Islamist
soldiers shot and killed scores of soldiers and officers, during lunch time at cafeteria of the base, would often go
out unprotected. During the Iranian unrest of 1979, before the fall of the government, he believed that army should
not be involved in politics and said: “We are soldiers and have nothing to do with politics. I am obedient to whoever governs
the country”. The general was executed a few days after the upheaval of 1979, by the terrorist criminal mullahs
Source: www.iranrights.org/english/
memorial-case--3306.php
AN EXCERPT OF
NATIONAL IRANIAN MILITARY HEROES
From left to right:
Professor Hassan Paakravaan. , H.I.M. Prince Shahriar Shafigh ,
General Gholaam-Ali Oveisi.
From left to right:
General Mehdi Rahimi. , Colonel Siyavash Bayaani ,
General Aayat Mohagheghi, General Ali Neshat.
Source: www.holycrime.com/
CrimeNews40.asp
IRANIAN ARTS AND
ARCHITECTURE
Achaemenid Rhython in the shape of a Lioness.
Iranian rhython arts also influenced the arts of ancient Greece
as seen in the Athenian rhython
now housed at Museo di Archeologia Ligure, Genova.
Source:/www.kavehfarrokh.com/news/thelion-and-sun-motif-of-iran-a-brief-analysis/
IRANIAN ARTS
Visual Arts
Paintings
Miniatures
Decorative Arts
Jewelry
Handcrafts
Pottery
Literature
Literature
Mythology
Performance Arts
Music
Dance
Others
Architecture
Hand-knotted Persian Carpets
PERSIAN MINIATURES
The origin of the Persian miniature is difficult to trace. The art form reached
its peak mainly during the Mongol and Timurid periods (13th-16th century), and was
Heavily influenced by Chinese paintings as the Mongol rulers of Persia brought with
them numerous Chinese artists to the court. Persian Arts, Visual Arts, Painting,
Miniatures, Decorative Arts, Jewelry , Embroidery, Motifs, Handicrafts, Pottery,
literature, Mythology, Architecture, Carpets, Performing Arts, Dance, and Music.
Reflecting the Chinese background of painters who introduced watercolor techniques
to Iran and initiated several medieval schools of Persian miniature painting. In fact,
many religious paintings, including a famous one portraying the Prophet Muhammad's
Miraj from the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem into the heavens, displays stylistic elements
of undoubtedly Chinese origins. Islamic angels are depicted as wearing the tight
robes of northern Chinese style. Persian miniature paintings of the Ilkhanid and
Timurid periods, especially ones related to the Shahnameh stories, usually borrow
landscape painting techniques from contemporary Chinese schools, developed
during the Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty.
Hossein Behzad (1894 – 1968)
Prominent Persian miniaturists
was a prominent painter from Tehran, Iran.
He became internationally known and won many awards
In honor of this artist, the "Behzad Museum", located in Tehran's
Sa'd Abad Palace holds the collection of most of his works.
1951 miniature painting by Master
Behzad depicting the story of
Shirin and Farhad
Source: Wikipedia.org
PERSIAN MINIATURES
A Persian miniature is a small painting, whether a book illustration or a separate
work of art intended to be kept in an album of such works. The techniques are
broadly comparable to the Western and Byzantine traditions of miniatures in
illuminated manuscripts. Although there is an equally well-established Persian
tradition of wall-painting, the survival rate and state of preservation of miniatures
is better, and miniatures are much the best-known form of Persian painting in
the West. Miniature painting became a significant Persian form in the 13th
century, and the highest point in the tradition was reached in the 15 th, and 16th
centuries. The tradition continued, under some Western influence, after this,
and has many modern exponents. The Persian miniature was the dominant
influence on other Islamic miniature traditions, principally the Ottoman miniature
in Turkey, and the Mogol miniature in the Indian sub-continent. The themes of
Persian miniatures are mostly related to Persian mythology and poetry.
Western artists discovered the Persian miniature around the beginning of the
20th century. Persian miniatures uses pure geometry and a vivid palette.
The allure of Persian miniature painting lies in its absorbing complexities
and in the surprising way it speaks to large questions about the nature of
art and the perception of its masterpieces.
A polo scene in old Persia,
depicted by Hossein Behzad.
Style is Persian miniature.
Source: www.iranonline.com
IRANIAN IMPERIAL
ROYAL JEWELS
PERSIAN JEWELS
Iran possesses an extraordinary treasure of royal jewelry, including a
copious amount of mother-of-pear from the Persian Gulf. The Iranian crown
jewels are among the largest, most dazzling and valuable jewel collection
in the world. The jewels are displayed in the vaults of the Central Bank of Iran
in Tehran, and are one of the most appealing tourist attractions in Iran.
Akik(a semi-precocious stone) is also exported from Iran to various countries
including the Indian subcontinent.
IRANIAN IMPERIAL ROYAL JEWELS
The Imperial crown jewels of Iran include several elaborate crowns and decorative thrones, thirty tiaras, and numerous
aigrettes, a dozen bejewelled swords and shields, a vast number of unset precious gems, numerous plates and other
dining services cast in precious metals and encrusted with gems, and several other more unusual items (such as a gemstone
globe) collected by the Iranian monarchy during its 2,500-year existence. The collection is kept at "The Treasury of National
Jewels" which is its official name, called "Jewelry Museum". It is situated inside Central Bank of Iran on Tehran's Ferdowsi
Avenue. The Imperial crown jewels of Iran is the largest jewelry collection in the world. The majority of the items now in the
collection were acquired by the Safavid dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1502 to 1736 AD. Afghans invaded Iran in 1719, and
sacked the then capital of Isfahan and took the Iranian crown jewels as plunder. By 1729, however, after an internal struggle
of nearly a decade, Nader Shah Afshar the Great successfully drove the Afghans from Iran. In 1738, the Shah launched his
own campaign against the Afghan homeland. After taking and raiding the cities of Kandahar and Kabul as well as several
principalities in northern India, the victorious Nader Shah returned to Iran with what remained of the plundered crown jewels
as well as several other precious objects now found in the Iranian Treasury. These included several heavily jewel-encrusted
thrones and numerous diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, and other precious gemstones. Four of the most prominent
acquisitions from this conquest were the Koh-i-Noor and Darya-ye Noor diamonds (both originating from India and still amongst
the largest in the world), the Peacock Throne, and the Samarian Spinel.
Source: Wikipedia.org
Pahlavi’s Crown
Kiani Crown
Source: Wikipedia.org
Daryay-i-noor
(Installed in Iranian Royal Jewelry)
Koh-I-noor
(stolen from Persia and now is in England.
Here shown in British Royal Crown)
Sources:
1. Wikipedia.org; and
2. www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1298541/David-Cameronambushed-Indian-TV-105-carat-Koh-noor-diamond.html
Naderi Throne
Coronation Necklace
Coronation Belt
Emerald Necklace
Imperial Globe
Source: Wikipedia.org
Dish cover
Chest full of Pearl
Queen Farah’s Coronation Cap
Noor-ol-Ain Tiara
An elaborate diamond and
emerald Aigrette, set in silver
Sword Coronation
Source: Wikipedia.org
Handicrafted Copper Works
Source:salamiran.org
MUSIC HISTORY OF IRAN
Source:www.worldofstock.com/
closeups/PMU1643.php
MUSIC OF IRAN
The history of music composition in Iranian culture
Traditional Hierarchies of Authenticity and Value
Persian Classical Music
Persian Symphonic Music
Folk music
Pop Music
Other musics
Taq-e Bostan carving, Women playing
harp while the king is standing in a boat holding
his bow and arrows, from 6th century Sassanid Iran.
A historical painting from Hasht - Behest
palace, Isfahan, Iran, from 1669.
Ancient Iranians attached great importance to
music and poetry, like today. Post Sassanid
era silver plate, 7th century.
Ali Rahbari
conducting Jeunesse
Musicales de Tehran, 1974
Source: Wikipedia.org
AN EXCERPT OF CONTEMPORARY
PROMINENT IRANIAN COMPOSERS,
CONDUCTORS, MUSICIANS,
AND VOCALISTS
Source:www.fotosearch.com/
photos-images/violinists.html
COLONEL ALI NAGHI VAZIRI
(1887 – 1979 AD)
Composer, Musician of classical and
traditional Persian music, and a celebrated tar player
Ali-Naqi Vaziri was a musicologist, composer, a celebrated player of the tar, and the founder of the Academy of Music
of Iran as well of Iran's National Orchestra. Ali-Naqi Vasiri (better known as Colonel Ali-Naqi Vasiri) is one of the seven
children of Musa Khan Vaziri (a prominent official in the Persian Cossack Brigade) and Bibi Khatoon Astarabadi, a
notable Iranian writer, satirist and one of the pioneering figures in the women's movement of Iran; his book Ma'ayeb
al-Rejal (Failings of Men, also translated as Vices of Men) is considered by some as the first declaration of women's
rights in the modern history of Iran. The celebrated artistic painter is Ali-Naqi's brother. Ali-Naqi Vaziri was a master
of Iran's classical music so that he was able to play the tar in a style very reminiscent of that of Mirza Abdollah. He always
looked for new dimensions and perspectives in musical expression, and by doing so her revolutionized the style of
playing the tar. He was the first to transcribe the classical radio of the Persian music. Master Abol-Hassan Saba was one
of his outstanding student.
Source: Wikipedia.org
ABOL- HASAN SABA
(902 – 1957 AD)
Most renowned Iranian musician, composer of
Persian classical music, violinist, and setar player
Saba was born in Tehran to Abol - Qasim Khan Kamal ol-Saltaneh, He studied several
of Iranian and non Iranian musical instruments and became a master (Ostad) in Radif,
but selected violin and setar as his specific instruments. He was a student of
Mirza Abdollah Vaziri as well as Darvish Khan. Saba is considered one of Iran's most
influential figures in traditional and instrumental Persian music. Saba perfected his
tonbak skills with Haji-Khan Zarbi and received training on the Santur from Ali
Akbarshahy. In addition, before violin, he learned to play the Kamancheh under
the guidance of Hossein Khan Esmail-Zadeh. His first violin teacher was Hossein
Hang-Afarin. Later, when Ali-Naqi Vaziri established his School of Music, Saba
enrolled to learn the theory of music and the art of playing the violin. He was also
familiar with Ney, Western flute, and tar. Noticing his passion, talent, and skills,
Vaziri suggested that Saba started teaching music. In 1927, Saba founded a music
school in Rasht. The music he heard in some villages was the starting point for
his significant future research in Persian folk music. Saba composed some of
his best works in this period of time, including Zard-e Malijeh, Deylaman, and
Bezendan. He wrote four volumes of training manuals for the santur, three volumes
for the violin, and a volume for the setar and tar. He died in 1957, and was buried in
Tehran's Zahir o-dowleh Cemetery of artists and musicians.
Abol-hasan Saba
Source: Wikipedia.org
ALI TAJVIDI
(1919 – 2006 AD)
Persian musician, composer, master violinist, song writer,
and music professor at the School of
National Music and Tehran University
Ali Tajvidi was a Persian musician, composer, violinist, song writer, and music professor at the
School of National Music and Tehran University. He composed more than 150 songs and
discovered and produced for many Persian performers such as Delkash and Hayedeh. He was
born in Tehran, where his father was active as a painter in the style of Kamal-ol-Molk. In his youth
he took violin lessons for two years under Hossein Yahaghi (uncle of Parviz Yahaghi) and for
many years was under the tutelage of Abol-Hassan Saba for the violin as well. After 1941, having
developed his violin technique considerably, Tajvidi performed regularly as a violin soloist in
Radio Iran programs. In later years, he conducted two orchestras, for which he wrote numerous
compositions. Asheqi Sheyda, Be Yad-e Saba, Atash-e Karevan, Didi ke Rosva Shod Delam, and
Sang-e Khara are among his best known works. He wrote a three-volume book, entitled "Persian
Music", which has been released by the Soroush Publishing Company. In 1998, the Iranian government
acknowledged his musical accomplishments by awarding him the highest artistic medal that
they dispense. During his career, Tajvidi co-operated with outstanding contemporary artists including
Gholam Hossein Banan, Hossein Qavami, Mahmoud Mahmoudi-Khansari, Akbar Golpaygani,
Hossein Khajeh Amiri, Jalil Shahnaz, Farhang Sharif, Habibollah Badiei, Parviz Yahaghi,
Javad Ma’roufi, Faramarz Payvar, Mehdi Khaledi, Banoo Delkash, and Homayoun Khoram. Homeira,
a noted singer, first became famous by the song (sabram ata kon) which was composed by Ali Tajvidi.
Tajvidi also composed some songs that he played solo on the violin. He is regarded as one of the
best violinists in Iran, on a par with Parviz Yahaghi. He also played the sitar. He made Radif which
concerns the traditional music of Iran, maghami or dhastgahi for the violin.
Ali Tajvidi
Source: Wikipedia.org
Javad Ma'roufi
(1912 – 1993 AD)
A prominent Iranian composer and master pianist
Anoushiravan Rohani
A prominent composer and
master pianist, and key board player
Sources: Wikipedia.org &
www.anoushirvanrohani.com/music.html
QAMAR OL - MOLOUK VAZIRI
FIRST IRANIAN FEMALE VOCALIST
(1905 – 1959 AD)
As a young child, Qamar lost both her mother and her father, so her grandmother
became her guardian. Her grandmother, Mulla-Kheyr-al-Nesa (titled to Eftekhar-al-Zakerin),
was a singer of the Rozekhani ceremonies (religious ceremony) and Qamar accompanied
her and participated. These were some of her first acquaintances with the Persian vocal
music of the Rozekhani genre. Qamar became more acquainted with Persian music as the
years passed. The beginning of her career took place when she attended a wedding
ceremony where the great master of tar, Morteza Neydavoud, was invited. When she sang
in the wedding ceremonies privately, Ostad Neydavood accompanied her on the tar,
and he later asked her to sing something else for her. Qamar did as she was asked, and
Neydavoud loved her voice so much that he invited her to attend in his class on traditional
Persian music to learn the radif repertoire. She began attending his classes and soon she
became one of the best singers of Iran, despite this being a time where most Iranian women
were not allowed to sing. Her first concert with Neydavoud was at the salon of the Grand
Hotel around 1924 or so. Their second concert was at the Palace Cinema located in the
Lalehzar Street of Tehran. As time went on, her fame continued to grow. She was acquainted
with several famous poets and writers. Gradually, she recorded a multitude of gramophone
disks and performed several concerts accompanied by the tar of her former master,
Neydavood. These increased her fame as the decades passed. The national radio paid
Qamar a meager superannuation salary when she retired, but nevertheless, she shared
whatever she earned among the poverty-stricken. As a result, she was practically destitute
when she died on August 6, 1959. She is buried in the Zahir od-Dowleh cemetery, Darband,
Shemiran, Tehran.
Qamar ol-Molouk Vaziri
Source: Wikipedia.org
Delkash
(1924 – 2004 AD)
Delkash was born in Babol, and was the daughter of a cotton trader
who had twelve other children. She later was introduced to the
music masters of the time, Ruhollah Khaleghi and Abdolali Vaziri.
She was named Delkash by Khaleghi. Delkash started public
singing in 1943, and was employed in Radio Iran in 1945, only
five years after the establishment of the program. There, she
worked with the composer Mehdi Khaledi for seven years,
until 1952, which made them both very famous. The best of her
songs were written by Rahim Moeini Kermanshahi, Iranian lyricist,
and Ali Tajvidi, Iranian composer, from 1954 until 1969.
She also worked as a song writer under the pen name of Niloofar
and played in a few Iranian movies. She worked with the great singer
and electric guitar musician VIGEN DERDERIAN Sultan of Jazz. their
most beautiful duet "Delam Mikhast" can be heard in youtube. Delkash
died in Sep 2004, at the age of 80, in Tehran and was buried in
Emamzadeh Taher a popular graveyard for the artists in Karaj.
Gholam-Hossein Banan
(1911 – 1986 AD)
Vigen Derderian
(1929 – 2003 AD)
King of the Iranian Pop
(Sultan of Jazz)
Sources : Wikipedia.org &
iranian.com
AN EXCERPT OF IRANIAN POP ARTISTS
Haydeh
Homeyra
(Parvaneh Amir Afshari)
1945
Aref Arefkia , 1945
Morteza Barjesteh
Dariush Eghbali , 1951
Source: www.wapedia.mobi/en/
Persian_pop_music
Tehran Symphonic Orchestra
Source: worldisround.com
IRANIAN DANCE
Rise of Pahlavi dynasty meant a methodical concentration on modernizing the country. During the years to
come an accurate attempt was done in order to compile and develop different styles of dance. From
Pre-historic folkloric dancing, which is left from the Persian original dance, to the contemporary works of the
great western choreographers like Maurice Béjart and Martha Graham. The history of Iranian ballet traditions
starts from 1928, when Madame Cornelli gave her very first lessons in classical ballet until 1982, three years
after the 1979 unrest. She and later other pedagogues such as Serkis Janbazian and Madame Yelena,
trained some children of the upper class in Tehran. These pedagogues, all of them with Armenian origin,
have been educated abroad by European ballet masters. Later on, Madame Cornelli evolved her activity by
touring with her ballet ensemble in different parts of the country and abroad. Yelena Avedisian, known as
Madame Yelena, immigrated to Iran in 1945. She moved to the city of Tabriz with her Iranian husband, where
she shortly thereafter started her dance school. In 1962, she established the “Song and Dance Ensemble”
with the participation of her 150 students. Later, when she moved to Tehran and established a new school,
she made ballets of Persian character. ”Rose of Shiraz”, ”Song of the Canary”, ”Gulnara”, ”Portrait of a
Patriotic Girl”, ”Fire Dance”, and ”Fountains at the Ferdousi Square” are some of them. During the 1930s,
1940s and 1950s a new kind of entertaining dance was developed. It had its roots in Qajar dance traditions
and became known as popular dance, or in the term of our time disco dance. It was performed by ordinary
people and aimed only as entertainment at private gatherings and festivities. This kind of dance did not have
any artistic quality, but it became more and more popular and new stiles were developed. Motrebi, Ru-hawzi,
Baba Karam, Shateri and Tehrooni were performed by people, even as solo dances. In early 1940s the first
known Iranian dance ensemble with a professional character was formed, called "Revival of Ancient Iranian
Arts". For the first time, in 1947, the company was introduced abroad touring in Turkey, Greece, Italy and
Lebanon. Later, between 1951 and 1953 performances were given in India and all the Middle Eastern countries.
The Iranian group of "National Folkloric Music, Song and Dance" was formed in 1958 by the Ministry of Culture
and Arts under the direction of Nejad Ahmadzadeh. The goal was to revive, restore and develop all kind of
national and folkloric music, song and dance. Groups of experts were sent to villages and far-fetched provinces
of Iran to gather material and to make an in depth study of these art forms.
Source:artira.com/nimakiann/history/contemporary.html
http://djanbaziandance.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=&pos=1
ROUDAKI HALL OPERA
HOUSE” IN TEHRAN
The company performed in the presence of all the state guests of Iran including many royal families and
presidents of the East and the West such as the King Hassan II of Morocco, Presidents De Gaule of France,
Queen of England, Yahya Khan of Pakistan, Chaussesco of Romania, Nixon of USA, etc. In 1959, the ensemble
participated in the International Folk Dance Festival in Turkey, being its first international introduction. Later
in 1964 the troupe made a long tour in the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Morocco, the USSR and almost all
East European countries. It gave also a week of performances at the Iranian pavilion in Canada at Expo 1967
and Expo 1970 in Japan. During 1968-69 the ensemble made another extensive tour in the USSR, Afghanistan
and Tunisia.More and more dancing became accepted in the traditional Iranian society and thanks to the devoted
work of some Iranian enthusiasts it was developing to a popular form of art. Nejad Ahmadzadeh says: "Dance
used to be a lowly means of entertainment in Iranian culture. During my career we placed it on the cultural map
of Persia as an art form, where it belonged". During the 1950s some initiatives have been taken also for establishing
a government supported and well organized ballet ensemble at a national level. The Ministry of Culture and Arts
invited some ballet masters and choreographers from Europe and the United States to come to Iran and together
with the Iranian ballet veterans start a national ballet company. Nejad Ahmadzadeh was sent by the Ministry to
the United States to visit and study different opera houses and concert halls. At his return he established the
technical, administrative and artistic sections of the newly built “Roudaki Hall Opera House”. During the same
time also a state supported Ballet School was formed for which ballets teachers were engaged from abroad.
On the invitation of the ministry, Dame Ninette de Valois went to Tehran in 1958 to establish the classical ballet
company to which she then sent Ann Cock, Nicholas Beriozoff, Miro Zolan, his wife Sandra Vane and Marion
English (Delanian) to teach and stage ballet productions. In 1966, Robert de Warren was appointed artistic director
of the National Company, which performs at “Roudaki Hall Opera House” in Tehran, and the “Iranian National Ballet”
was formally founded in 1967 by Nejad Ahmadzadeh at the time of coronation festivities in Tehran. For this occasion
many respected artists such as Hehudi Menuhin, Elizabeth Schwartzkopf and ensembles including Grands Ballets
Classiques de France, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Symphony Orchestra visited Tehran and
the Roudaki Hall. When de Warren left the ballet company in 1971 to study national folk dances and later form the
“Mahalli Troupe of Iranian Folk Dancers”, the first Iranian prima ballerina Aida Ahmadzadeh (the wife of the founder
of Roudaki Hall) succeeded him as director.
Source:artira.com/nimakiann/history/contemporary.html
http://djanbaziandance.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=&pos=1
Later guest producers included William Dollar, Ivon Pattersen, Anne Heaton, Vakhtang
M. Chaboukiani and others. A varied repertoire was created and the Ministry of Culture and Arts
partially sponsored the company. Collaboration with American and European dance establishments
in cities such as New York, Paris, London and Brussels started. In 1969, Rudolf Nurejev and Margot
Fonteyn visited Iran and set up the ballet of Le Corsaire on the national scene. During the same year
an Iranian ballet dancer, Bijan Kalantari, graduated from the School of Metropolitan Opera and Ballet
came to Iran. His collaboration with the national ballet company resulted in arrangement of a gala
evening with the participation of some Iranian ballet dancers and their partners, active in Europe and
the USA, Haydeh Changizian and Ali Pourfarroukh. In autumn 1969, Bijan Kalantari established a new
ballet department at the Tehran’s Music High School, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Arts.
His intention was to educate dancers with different styles for the National Ballet. Kalantari, who had
collaborated with successful choreographers like Serge Lifar, is considered as the person who imported
the modern pedagogic system for classical ballet to Iran. Before moving to his native country, he
had worked with ballet companies such as the Dallas, Kansas and Vienna Operas, as well as the
Metropolitan Opera and Ballet. The National Company grew steadily from approximately a dozen to
46 dancers, one third of them Iranians. It became an internationally known ballet ensemble and toured the
world. The young company was soon notorious as the best and the most respected of all ballet companies
in the Middle East. It became most known among companies of Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Egypt
etc. Membership of the company became popular and attractive by first class dancers all over the world.
Many foreign ballet stars and prima ballerinas, for instance from the Bolshoi Ballet, were invited to dance
at the premiers.
Source:artira.com/nimakiann/history/contemporary.html
http://djanbaziandance.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=&pos=1 &
http://www.farahpahlavi.org/arts.html
END OF PART 6