Persian and U.S. flags fluttered on New York's Fifth Avenue

Persian and U.S. flags fluttered in New York as a lavish banquet was held at the Astoria Hotel in June 1973 to mark the opening of Iran's Tourism Organization office on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.

The event was organized by Ardeshir Zahedi, the Ambassador of Persia (Iran) to the United States, who was highly active at the time in promoting the historical attractions of his homeland. The above article was published in the Persian-language weekly Kayhan Havai.

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Ancient Persia at the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC:

Largest Collection of Sasanian-era Persian Silvers is in Russia

The Hermitage State Museum in Saint Petersburg holds the largest collection of Sasanian-era Persian silvers. According to Encyclopedia Iranica: "Most of these vessels come from chance finds and hoards discovered in the Kama and Ob’ basins from the 1780s." 

DERBENT / DARBAND: Ancient Persian Fortress in Russia:

Watch More: www.derbentonline.com

Rare Photo of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in Switzerland 1931

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Crown prince of Persia (Iran) in 1931.

 The photo is taken when he was studying in Switzerland.

Source: Annual Report of the Imperial Government of Persia 1931-1932. The publication contains interesting information and statistics on the social developments in the country (Pahlavi era).

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"Musician & Dancer" from Qajar Persia | 18th-century Tile

This unique tile was made in Tehran in the Qajar era (1796-1925); when the city became the capital of Persia/Iran.

The 18th-century tile is now kept at the Art Institute of Chicago. The museum holds a large collection of Persian art in its Asian Gallery, including the carpets, coins, tiles, paintings, etc.

According to the Encyclopaedia Iranica "The Qajar period is now increasingly recognized as a time of significant change in Persian society. Perhaps the most obvious influence was the impact of Western ideas and technology, which accompanied the diplomats, military and technical advisers, merchants, travelers, and missionaries who flocked into 19th-century Persia."

ALSO WATCH:
Louvre & Persian Art in Qajar Era :

Rare Portrait of Ahmad Shah Qajar, King of Persia

A rare portrait of Ahmad Shah Qajar, king of Persia, by Seyyed Hossein Arjangi (aka Mir Mossavar).

1910 / oil on canvas.

Currently, the painting is kept in a private collection in Europe.

Ahmad Shah (1898-1930) was only 11 when he came to the throne. This portrait which may have been made from a photograph, was intended to give the child a proud, imperial bearing. But in actual fact he had little power.

Ahmad Shah was the first constitutional monarch of Persia (Iran). In 1921 his war minister Reza Khan fomented a coup and later founded the Pahlavi dynasty.


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VIDEO: Persian Art in Qajar Era
"Empire of Roses" Exhibition in France

IRAN AIR flight ticket in 1971

A few days ago I found a 1971 IRAN AIR ticket at one of our friends' home in Europe. I immediately made a photo of that to share it with you! The golden age of the National Airline in Persia!

VIDEO >> SEE ALSO:

www.TaqKasra.com

Shah of Persia in Europe: Nassereddin Shah Qajar (1873)

A sketch of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar (Nassereddin Shah) from 1873 by the Dutch artist J. L. Ten Kate. It was originally published in Amsterdam under the title De Schah van Perzië in Europa around the same time.

Naser al-Din Shah was the fourth monarch of the Qajar dynasty, which ruled Persia from 1789 to 1925. In the early 20th century, the Qajars were succeeded by a new ruling power — the Pahlavi dynasty.

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King Faisal of Saudi Arabia & Mohammad Reza Shah of Persia 1974

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, King of Persia (Iran) welcomes King Faisal of Saudi Arabia in Tehran, 1974.

This rare photo was originally published in the state Persian-language periodical 'FARMAN'. The title of the volume is 'Tarikh-e Talayi-e Asr-e Pahlavi' [The Golden Age of Pahlavi Era].

King Faisal ruled Saudi Arabia from 1964 to 1975 and Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlavi was the king of Persia from 1941 to 1979.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Persia, the countries are in cold war with each other. In 1987 during the Hajj ceremony, hundreds of Iranians were killed in a clash with Saudi security forces and in 2006 the Saudi Embassy's building in Tehran was set on fire with Molotov cocktails.

Rare Photos of Reza Shah funeral in Tehran 1950

The coffin of Reza Shah was brought back from the Kingdom of Egypt by train and then by airplane, making two stops, one in Mecca and the other in Medina. Then, later, his body was transferred by plane to Ahvaz, and then later by train to Tehran.

On May 8, 1951, Reza Shah's Imperial funeral took place in Ray, in which Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, along with the entire Pahlavi family, many ministers and Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, participated

Reza Shah Pahlavi (1878 – 1944), was the Shah of Persia from 15 December 1925 until he was forced to abdicate by the Anglo-Soviet invasion of his country on 16 September 1941. Reza Shah is considered the founder of modern identity of Persia/Iran.

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12th-century Stone-paste from Persia 'Hoopoe'

Persian stonepaste (Fritware) from the 12th century in the form of hoopoe.

Stone-paste is a type of pottery in which frit is added to clay to reduce its fusion temperature.

In the 13th century the town of Kashan in Persia/Iran was an important centre for the production of fritware.

Masterpieces from Ziwiye, Kurdistan Province of Persia

Penn Museum in Philadelphia recently has reopened its Middle Eastern Galley after restoration. The gallery contains fantastic pieces from Mesopotamia and Persia. The items from Ziwiye (located in Persian Kurdistan) cached my eyes:

If you are around, don't miss the museum!

ALSO WATCH: Art of Persia @ Freer Gallery of Art, Washington DC:

Persian Cat Lustreware, 13th century

As a cat lover, wherever I go I capture the cats! This time I have discovered a 13th-century Persian cat at the British Museum. The lustreware has been made in the city of Kashan and it has been offered to the museum as a gift around 1934. 

The cat looks chubby and lazy. Typically Persian! the cat I mean of course :)) 
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Imperial Bank of Persia (1931 advertisement)

I just received an old newspaper from Birmingham. The daily, dated February 1931 contains an advertisement of "Imperial Bank of Persia".

In various online sources, it is mentioned that Imperial Bank of Persia has been active since 1889 to 1929 but it can not be correct because this advertisement has been published in 1931. Anyway:

The beautiful building of Imperial Bank of Persia is still in operation in Tehran under the name of Bank Tejarat, located in Toupkhaneh Square. The designer of the building is Markar Galstiants (1885-1985), the Persian-Armenian architect.
IBP was the first modern bank in Persia / Iran and established with a concession from the Persian government to Baron Julius De Reuter.

SHAHNAMEH FERDOWSI (Baysonghori Manuscripts)

A few pages of a rare manuscript of SHAHNAMEH (national epic of Persia) which has been published in 1971 in commemoration of the celebration of 2500th anniversary of the founding of Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great.

Video: Ancient Art of Persia

Mohammad Manzarpour fired from VOA Persian Service

Manzarpour (Photo: Facebook)

Mohammad Manzarpour, the editor of Voice of America's Persian Service has been fired today.
The reason is not clear.
Manzarpour was one of the close staff members of VOA Persian Service to the director Setareh Derakhshesh. VOA management (BBG) had already received countless complaints in regard of Mazarpour's and Derakhshesh's unprofessional behavior at work.

Before joining the VOA Persian Service, Mohammad Manzarpour was a producer at BBC Persian Service at its Washington bureau. His cooperation with BBC was stopped in 2013 in a suspicious atmosphere as well.

Voice of America has not given any comment on Manzarpour fire.
WATCH: One of the most successful productions by VOA Persian Service (an Interview with Iraj Pezeshkzad, author, produced by Hooman Bakhtiar and Bijan Farhoodi) 

ALSO READ: VOA stops radio broadcast service in Persian

Removing the name PERSIAN GULF from Berlin's Islamic Art Museum map!

Recently the Islamic Art Museum in Berlin has organized an exhibition entitled "Ctesiphon". The exhibition displays the objects which have been found in this ancient Persian city by the American and German archaeologists in 1931.
The organizers of Ctesiphon exhibition has installed a big map at the museum which shows the West Asia. In the map the name of all seas and waterways are written except for the Persian Gulf.

A museum is considered as a neutral and academic organization but it seems Berlin's Islamic Art Museum is just going to please Arab countries; maybe because of its financial ties with them.
Also at the end of the Ctesiphon Exhibition there is a sign in English and Arabic!
It seems Berlin's Islamic Art Museum does not know the language of Persian Empire and Ctesiphon was Persian, not Arabic.

Parts of the exhibition can be watched in this video. The objects are quite unique. If you visit Berlin do not miss this exhibition. It is on Pergamonmuseum at the Museum Island of German capital.

More information about the exhibition: PERGAMON MUSEUM website

Rare Photo: Queen Farah Diba with Lepers, 1973

A rare photo of Queen Farah Diba of Persia with lepers, close to the city of Birjand in 1973.

The photo, which is taken at Dr. Raaji Leprosy Centre, was originally published in the Persian-language weekly Kayhan Havai. 

On that time Queen Farah was trying to help the lepers to return to the society.

Homeyra, Mahasti and Hayedeh's Last Cassettes Promotion Before 1979 Revolution

The promotion of the last albums by the Persian singers Homeyra, Mahasti and Hayedeh before 1979 revolution.

The advertisement has been published in an October 1979 issues of Etelaat Newspaper in Tehran. VAAY VAAY (by Homeira), BIGANEH (by Mahasti) and MAN KHODAM RAFTANIAM (by Hayedeh) are the title of the albums and which had been released by Jahan Music Company in Teheran.
All of these singers continued their activities later in the United States.

Hayedeh live performance, National Iranian Television, 1977:

Hayedeh Documentary trailer:

Comedy Show by Hayedeh, Shahram Shabpareh and Rafi (1983)

Hayedeh performs 'Faryad' in Hamburg:

Highlights of Hayedeh documentary :

Hayedeh performs a Persian folk song in Stockholm:

Hayedeh commemorates Ali Tajvidi:

Hayedeh 80th Birthday (BBC Persian program)

l'Ecole Normale Supérieure de Téhéran, Perse, 1933

طهران - Tehran - Τεχεράνη + 테헤란 - טהראן + テヘラン + Тегеран -  德黑兰 

Persische Hauptstadt Teheran, 1933

Perzische hoofdstad Teheran

Persian (Iranian) capital TEHRAN

2016 : Hope for Zayandeh Rud

I was in Isfahan recently and it made my quite happy to see water again in this river...
Zayandeh Rud is one of the victims of drought in Persia since few years ago. The river became totally dry last year so the current condition has created hope for the people.