Abbas Amanat’s Engaging History of Iran: Book Review
By Ariane Moshiri
Abbas Amanat's "Iran: A Modern History" is the culmination of decades of patient and careful scholarship. For those who may be intimidated by the 1,000-page opus, Amanat writes in engaging prose, and offers...
Prayer Stones and Patterns: Interview with Artist Sepideh Salehi
By Fred Parvaneh
Iranian artist Sepideh Salehi creates paintings, photographs and videos that reflect her experiences as an Iranian artist living and working in the West.
Born in Tehran, Sepideh had a passion for painting from...
First Exhibition of Persian Decorative Art Opens in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s first and most comprehensive exhibition of Persian decorative arts has just opened at the Liang Yi Museum, coinciding with the start of the Persian New Year.
“The Blue Road: Mastercrafts from Persia” showcases...
Sixteen-Year-Old Underachiever is Hero of Arvin Ahmadi’s Debut Novel
By Fred Parvaneh
“Down and Across,” published by Penguin Random House, is the debut novel by Iranian-American Arvin Ahmadi: a coming-of-age story of grit and self-discovery that follows Scott Ferdowsi, a high-school student with a...
All About Nowruz: The Persian New Year
Nowruz marks the start of a New Year for over 300 million people around the world –foremost among them the people of Iran, for whom it is the most important festive occasion of the...
Historic Shiraz Homes Are Wrecked in Shah Cheraq Mosque Expansion
Mehdi Hajati, a member of the Shiraz City Council, has posted video footage on his Twitter page showing the demolition of historic homes around the Shah Cheraq funerary monument and mosque (dating back to...
Nowruz Events in Europe
By Tara Biglari
Nowruz, the Persian New Year, marks the first day of spring and is an Iranian word that translates as "New Day." The holiday is celebrated by Iranians across the globe with week-long...
Nowruz Events in the U.S.
By Fred Parvaneh
From coast to coast and in every major city in the US, Iranian-Americans celebrate the arrival of the Persian New Year, or Nowruz, which coincides with the first day of Spring.
This year’s...
Louvre Museum Stages Exhibition in Tehran
The Louvre Museum has just opened the first large-scale exhibition organized by a major Western museum in Iran. Held at the National Museum of Iran, “The Louvre in Tehran” traces the creation of the...
A Memoir of Iran: Interview with Cyrus Kadivar
By Tara Biglari
"Farewell Shiraz" is the title of a new memoir by the Iranian author Cyrus Kadivar, which details how the 1979 Iranian Revolution uprooted his family and led them far from the place...
