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Showing 3 results for Muharram


Volume 7, Issue 4 (3-2018)
Abstract

Nowadays the issue is that most Islamic traditions have been neglected in the society. The influence of theological and religious values on the construction and development of urban spaces are much more important. In the present study an attempt was made in order to define the Islamic city and its requirements and investigate the role of spaces related to rituals and religious ceremonies held in commemoration of Muharram through a case study of Timcheh Mozaffarieh in Tabriz Baazar. In investigating the theoretical way of study is a descriptive-analytical method and for the sample survey-analysis was applied. Data collection was done through interviewing the experts and scholars in religion, library study of the theories and definitions on the subject and field study (questionnaire). In the studied case (Timcheh Mozaffarieh in Tabriz Baazar) it was also observed that many people from most of the groups (people participating in ceremonies, businessmen in downstairs of Timcheh, businessmen in upstairs of Timcheh, heads of mourning groups, Islamic Development Staff and police) agree upon holding the five-day mourning ceremony in Timcheh Mozaffarieh in Tabriz Baazar despite of some problems, since it has been held there for about a century and transferring it to another place will damage its glory. The reason we have observed in the obtained results and findings is the sense of belonging and attachment to this place after years of holding many ceremonies in this place and the memories people have of it in their minds which are part of their lives. Another reason is the identity that holding Muharram ceremonies have given to this place through all these years. Therefore, identity along with memorable and repeatable events reinforces the potential of this place. According to the obtained results, most of people in 5 groups (people participating in ceremonies, businessmen in downstairs of Timcheh, businessmen in upstairs of Timcheh, heads of mourning groups, Islamic Development Staff and police) have agreed upon holding Ashura and Tasua mourning ceremonies in Timcheh Mozaffarieh in Tabriz Bazar which gives a special identity and fame to this place, and provides a sense of belonging to it. However, there are some problems in holding these ceremonies and an attempt was made to solve them by studying the problems and suggesting some solutions and also try to maintain the originality and durability of this precious place, which is due to holding special rituals and mourning ceremonies in Muharram, by inviting participants in these ceremonies, heads of mourning groups and businessmen in Timcheh to help.
Nowadays the issue is that most Islamic traditions have been neglected in the society. The influence of theological and religious values on the construction and development of urban spaces are much more important. In the present study an attempt was made in order to define the Islamic city and its requirements and investigate the role of spaces related to rituals and religious ceremonies held in commemoration of Muharram through a case study of Timcheh Mozaffarieh in Tabriz Baazar. In investigating the theoretical way of study is a descriptive-analytical method and for the sample survey-analysis was applied. Data collection was done through interviewing the experts and scholars in religion, library study of the theories and definitions on the subject and field study (questionnaire). In the studied case (Timcheh Mozaffarieh in Tabriz Baazar) it was also observed that many people from most of the groups (people participating in ceremonies, businessmen in downstairs of Timcheh, businessmen in upstairs of Timcheh, heads of mourning groups, Islamic Development Staff and police) agree upon holding the five-day mourning ceremony in Timcheh Mozaffarieh in Tabriz Baazar despite of some problems, since it has been held there for about a century and transferring it to another place will damage its glory. The reason we have observed in the obtained results and findings is the sense of belonging and attachment to this place after years of holding many ceremonies in this place and the memories people have of it in their minds which are part of their lives. Another reason is the identity that holding Muharram ceremonies have given to this place through all these years. Therefore, identity along with memorable and repeatable events reinforces the potential of this place. According to the obtained results, most of people in 5 groups (people participating in ceremonies, businessmen in downstairs of Timcheh, businessmen in upstairs of Timcheh, heads of mourning groups, Islamic Development Staff and police) have agreed upon holding Ashura and Tasua mourning ceremonies in Timcheh Mozaffarieh in Tabriz Bazar which gives a special identity and fame to this place, and provides a sense of belonging to it. However, there are some problems in holding these ceremonies and an attempt was made to solve them by studying the problems and suggesting some solutions and also try to maintain the originality and durability of this precious place, which is due to holding special rituals and mourning ceremonies in Muharram, by inviting participants in these ceremonies, heads of mourning groups and businessmen in Timcheh to help.


Volume 13, Issue 62 (5-2025)
Abstract

Saqā'ī is an ancient ritual practiced in some Iranian cities, including Noushābād, where elegies related to the tragedy of Ashura are performed in the form of traditional Persian music. The poetry of Saqā'ī, rich in religious fervor and not lacking in literary elements, is mainly composed by poets from the late Qajar period to the contemporary era, most of whom are craftsmen and tradespeople from the Kashan region. The majority of the poems are attributed to three poets from Kashan: Farāhī, Navā’ī, and Khabbāz. The dominant poetic form is the mosammat-e morabbaʿ (a type of four-line strophic poem), followed by ghazal and tarkib-band. In this study, based on field research and examination of hand-copied booklets and notebooks, 70 frequently used poems were selected and analyzed according to their metrical structure. Among these, 32 distinct elegies were identified and transcribed musically. The findings show that most Saqā'ī elegies of Noushābād are performed in the daramad of the Dāshtī mode, followed by AbuʿAtā, Salmak-e Shur, Māhūr, Segāh, and Rāst-Panjgāh. Many of the poetic meters found in Saqā'ī poetry are the same ones recommended by master musicians of the Qajar and Pahlavi periods for Persian vocal music. The study also documents an overlooked part of Iran's musical heritage, introduces new melodies to enthusiasts, musicians, and ritual performers, and helps protect it from fading into oblivion.
Research Background
The book Traditional Mourning of the Shiites discusses the Saqā'ī tradition in Iran and the Kashan region, compiling appropriate poems for Saqā'ī ceremonies (Mo’tamedi, Vol. 1, 1999). The earliest known work that connects Persian prosody with music is Baḥr al-Alḥān, which attempts to match poetic meters with musical modes (Forsat-e Shirazi, 1966). Some scholars have studied poems selected by Iranian composers based on their metrical structure, analyzing their connection to traditional Persian music.
Khazraei’s works have particularly explored this relationship, in some of his studies such as “A Look at Poetic Meter in Several Versions of the Iranian Music Radif” (2004) and “Metric Categorization of Baḥr al-Alḥān Poems and Their Relation to the Modes and Sections of Iranian Music” (2006).

Objectives, Research Questions, and Hypotheses
The aim of this study is to identify and document the poems and forms of Saqā'ī elegies performed in Noushābād during Muharram, in the framework of Persian musical modes. Until now, Saqā'ī poetry and elegies have not been analyzed in terms of meter and music; this article is the first to address the subject.
The specific musical modes—despite their variety—correspond to particular poetic meters, creating a unique consistency in the musical structure of Noushābād’s Saqā'ī that is not found elsewhere. These tunes are part of Iran’s literary, ritual, and musical heritage, and preserving them is essential.
The main questions are: In what poetic meters and forms are the Saqā'ī elegies of Noushābād composed? Who are the poets, and in which Persian musical modes are these elegies performed?

Main Discussion
Saqā'ī poetry is specific to ritual gatherings and performed collectively. For the ease of group recitation, the poems typically use consistent, repetitive meters. The most common meter, used in ten poems, is Mostafʿelun Mostafʿelun Mostafʿelun Faʿel (in the Rajaz meter). Seven poems use the Mofāʿīlun Mofāʿīlun Mofāʿīlun Mofāʿīlun (Hazaj meter), often performed in Salmak-e Shur, Dāshtī, and Segāh. Six elegies are in Mostafʿel Mostafʿel Mostafʿel Faʿlun (Rajaz), sung in Dāshtī and Salmak-e Shur. Five poems use Fāʿelātun Fāʿelātun Fāʿelātun Fāʿelāt (Ramal), typically in Dāshtī. Another five are in Mafāʿelun Fāʿelun Mafāʿelun Fāʿelun (Mozāreʿ), sung in Rāst-Panjgāh. Four elegies use Faʿūlun Faʿūlun Faʿūlun Faʿūlun (Motaqāreb), also in Dāshtī. Three are in Mafāʿelun Mafāʿelun Mafāʿelun Mafāʿelun (Hazaj) in AbuʿAtā. Three more feature the complex rhythm Moftaʿelun Faʿ Moftaʿelun Moftaʿelun Mafʿūlun Moftaʿelun Faʿ Mostafʿel Faʿ. Some other meters appear only once or twice.
The poetic form of Saqā'ī is tailored to its ritual performance. Most of the poems (42 out of 70 selected) are composed in the mosammat-e morabbaʿ form. With a significant gap, the next most common form is the ghazal (13 poems). The main poets of Saqā'ī are known figures. Most of the elegies were composed by poets from the late Qajar, Pahlavi, and contemporary periods, primarily from Kashan and neighboring towns. Based on available biographical information, most of these poets came from working-class backgrounds with little or no direct connection to formal literary education or careers.

Conclusion
In this article, seventy Saghā’i elegies were examined across various poetic forms. The poetic meter (ʿarūḍ) of each elegy was identified, and the music accompanying these elegies—categorized into 32 distinct forms within traditional Iranian vocal modes—was documented and recorded. These poetic meters span diverse rhythmic patterns, especially the Rajaz meter, which is used in nearly half of the elegies and aligns well with the epic nature of Muharram poetry. Following Rajaz, the Hazaj and Ramal meters are most commonly used, with Motaqārib and the less frequent Modāreʿ meters following.
Most of the Saghā’i elegies are performed in the Dashti mode (46 instances), a musical system known for its melancholic quality while also being suitable for epic themes. Other modes used include Salmak-e Shur (16 instances), Rāst Panjgāh (8), Māhur (3), and Segāh and Bayāt-e Esfahān (1 each).
The composers of Saghā’i poems and elegies primarily come from the middle and lower social classes and were often craftsmen or local residents of the Kashan region during the Qajar and Pahlavi periods. In many cases, the poets themselves were founders or sponsors of Saghā’i gatherings and composed poetry tailored to the musical needs of those rituals. Although most Saghākhwāns (elegy reciters) lack formal musical education, they have preserved this musical tradition orally as a part of Iran's intangible cultural heritage.
In essence, Saghā’i poetry and its elegies represent a gift from the common people to the broader landscape of Persian poetry and music. By comparing the collected Saghā’i elegies of Noushābād with those from other ritual groups across towns and villages, it becomes clear that many traditional Iranian musical motifs are embedded within local mourning traditions—worthy of further investigation by folklorists and musicologists.
 

Mostafa Mokhtabad-Amrei,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (2-2007)
Abstract

-The term “Ta’ziyeh” refers to an Iranian dramatic genre which might be compared to the Western Passion Play and is the only indigenous drama of the entire Islamic world. This ritual drama has both an Islamic and a Persian heritage, the central theme of which is the tragic and heroic martyrdom of Imam Husayn, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed and the third Imam of Shi’ite in the desert of Karbala in 680 A.D. Shiites believe that Imam Husayn sacrificed his life to be their Intercessor on the Day of Judgment. The history of Ta’ziyeh did not begin with the events at Karbala rather it dates back to pre-Islamic culture as well as the dramatic expressions of both the Memorial of Zarer, a religious epic from the Sassanid era, (226-652 A.D.), and the Tragedy of Siyavush, a work from ancient Iran, which precedes the Ta’ziyeh play by 1,200 years. The tradition continued from an early processional form to the Magtal-Khani (a recital of martyrdom stories), until it took a dramatic shape. Further, both the playwrights and the structure of the Takiyeh performance building, its performance site, contributed to the evolution of Ta’ziyeh. In this paper, the emphasis is to demonstrate the character of Ta’ziyeh, its foundation and, the development of its various elements. It also attempts to reveal, from an objective stance, its value to a people who embrace it as a kind of ritual, both a holy and national art form. Ta’ziyeh is a kind of ritual drama which has fascinated some of the world’s most famous theatre historians, critics, and performers, who view in it some elements of the postmodern theatre.

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