Naqqali, ancient Iranian form of storytelling

Naqqali is one of the most ancient forms of dramatic performances in Iran and has long played an important role in society.

Naqqali is in fact the art of narrating legend and folk Persian stories such as Shahnameh, a long epic poem written by the famous Persian poet Ferdowsi, which includes more than hundreds of fascinating tales about Iranian myths and history.

Naqqali has existed since the pre-Islamic era in Iran. It was formerly performed in coffeehouses, tents of nomads, and ancient caravanserais.

Naqqali embraces many features of art and performance to the extent that some researchers believe it has a major role in the formation of theatre and modern plays.

This form of storytelling was accompanied by a musical instrument and based on the genre of the story, Naqqal, the storyteller, would choose whether to just recount the verses or to tell the story in musical form.

Naqqali requires considerable talent, a retentive memory, and the ability to improvise with the skill to captivate an audience.

In 2011, the Naqqali performance was registered on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage to keep this cultural element alive.  

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