‘The World’s Fastest Fingers’: Percussionist Mohammad Reza Mortazavi
By Azadeh Karimi and Ali Eshtyagh
Mohammad Reza Mortazavi is an Iranian percussionist once described by a German TV channel as "the fastest fingers in the world." Growing up in Isfahan, he began taking drum lessons when he was six years old, and was so prodigiously gifted that his tombak (percussion) teacher gave up teaching him after three years. Four years later,
Mohammad Reza Mortazavi is an Iranian percussionist once described by a German TV channel as "the fastest fingers in the world." Growing up in Isfahan, he began taking drum lessons when he was six years old, and was so prodigiously gifted that his tombak (percussion) teacher gave up teaching him after three years. Four years later,
Award-winning Photographer Reza Looks Back on a Prolific Career
Reza Deghati is one of the world's most famous photojournalists - so famous that he goes by his first name alone.
An awardwinning National Geographic photographer, he has for the past three decades captured countless...
Iran’s ‘Qanat’ Irrigation Tunnels Become UNESCO World Heritage Sites
UNESCO's World Heritage Committee has recently inscribed 11 Iranian treasures on its list of World Heritage sites. They're neither mosques, nor monuments, nor majestic royal palaces: they are qanats, those ancient irrigation tunnels that...
Paris-Based Vocalist Darya Dadvar Longs to Perform in Her Native Iran
Darya Dadvar was born with a beautiful voice, and a love of poetry and music. The Paris-based vocalist and opera singer – whose name means 'sea' in Persian – has endless affection for her native Iran....
Iranian Artists Swarm Paris with Group Show at Galerie Nicolas Flamel
By Katayoun Halajan
Iranian modern and contemporary art took center stage at Paris's Galerie Nicolas Flamel earlier this year, as the work of 15 artists went on show in an exhibition titled "Time Machine." The...
War Correspondent and Novelist Peyman Pejman Discusses Journalism and Thriller Writing
As a fearless reporter and war correspondent, Peyman Pejman witnessed major milestones in the contemporary history of the Middle East: from the 1978-79 Iranian Revolution to the Israeli invasion of Beirut to the two...
Artist Monir Farmanfarmaian Achieves Fame in Her Nineties, Stars in Documentary
By the time they reach middle age, most prominent artists will have had a big solo show in a major museum. For Monir Farmanfarmaian, the wait was infinitely longer.
Monir, who produces stunning mirror works...
Persepolis’s Lions and Bulls Star in an Exhibition in Northern Italy
By Ahmad Rafat
For the first time ever, archaeological treasures from the Museum of Persepolis and the National Museum of Iran travelled abroad earlier this year for an exhibition titled “Lions and Bulls from Ancient...
Iran’s First Feminist Qorrat al-Ayn Is Brought Back to Life in New Movie
By Katayoon Halajan
Shabnam Tolouei is an Iranian-born actress, stage director and playwright who moviegoers will remember as the lead actress in Shirin Neshat’s movie "Women Without Men" (winner of the Venice Film Festival's top Golden Lion award in 2009). Tolouei is now back
Shabnam Tolouei is an Iranian-born actress, stage director and playwright who moviegoers will remember as the lead actress in Shirin Neshat’s movie "Women Without Men" (winner of the Venice Film Festival's top Golden Lion award in 2009). Tolouei is now back
Celebrated Photojournalist Kaveh Golestan Lives On Thanks to His Photographer Wife
Hengameh Golestan was 18 when she met the man who would go on to become her husband – and one of the finest photo-journalists of the late 20th century. His name was Kaveh Golestan. He was 19.
Today, Kaveh is no...
