Iran to hold festival of Shahnameh mythical characters

Iran is scheduled to hold the first International Festival of Mythical Characters, featuring iconic figures from Persian poet Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh (Book of Kings).

Sistan-Balouchestan University’s Art Faculty in collaboration with the Society of Cultural Heritage of Zabol is planning the first International Festival of Mythical Characters for the month of Esfand, the last month on the Iranian calendar (February 20-March 20).

“A carnival of puppets of Shahnameh’s mythical characters will march through the city of Zabol (capital of Sistan-Baluchestan Province),” said Kambiz Moshtaq Gohari, the general manager of the local Cultural Heritage Office.

Called 'the Savior of the Persian Language', Abolqasem Ferdowsi is celebrated as one of the greatest literary figures in the world and the most significant one in Persian literature.

Shahnameh was composed by Ferdowsi between the years 980 and 1010. It tells mainly the mythical, and to some extent, the historical past of the Persian Empire from the creation of the world until the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century.

Rostam and his predecessors were natives of Zabol, in Sistan, which included present-day Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

As part of the program to be held in Sistan and Balouchestan Province, experts will make presentations on book’s mythical heroes, the greatest being Rostam.

Organizers of the program expressed intention to expand the festival in the coming years and run it at the international level as well.

AI/AI