Kaveh Farrokh will be providing a two-part lecture at the University of Southern California (USC) (topic: Iran and the Caucasus: A Long-Lasting Legacy of Historical & Cultural Ties) on April 22, 2013.
The USC lecture has been made possible by the organizational and coordination efforts of the Persian Academic and Cultural Student Association (PACSA – see Facebook) and support of the Persian American Society (PAS).
[Click to Enlarge] The lecture will focus on the overview of the cultural and historical links between Iran and the Caucasus from antiquity to the signing of the Golestan and Turkmenchai treaties in the early 19th century. Examples of topics include influences in linguistics, arts, architecture and culture over the centuries in the regions of ancient Albania (modern Republic of Azerbaijan), Armenia and Georgia (ancient Iberia and Colchis). In addition to influences from Iran proper, the role of North-Iranian speakers in Eastern Europe and their impact on the Caucasus is also examined. The lecture will conclude with the Iranian legacy in the Caucasus after the Russian conquests of 1828.
The lecture at the University of Southern California on Iran and the Caucasus: A Long-Lasting Legacy of Historical & Cultural Ties will be held at:
Location: USC-Waite Phillips Hall (Room WPH B27) – 3470 Trousdale Parkway Los Angeles, CA 90089
History Professor Ilber Ortayli of Galatasaray University in Istanbul Turkey. For the full BBC Persian interview and report on Professor Ortayli’s interview, kindly click on the above picture.
Below are some excerpts from that interview:
“The influence of Iran upon the Turks is like the influence of ancient Greece upon the entirety of Europe”
This is a very astute observation, one that has been long overdue in academia. The Turkic and Iranian peoples share a profound, rich, complex and long-standing cultural tradition known as the Turco-Iranian or Persianate civilization. The professor then expands on the above observation by expostulating that:
“We [the Turks] adopted much of our bureaucratic and governance methods from the Iranians during the Ottoman dynasty. We have been influenced by Iranian civilization since ancient pre-Islamic times. The only difference between us [the Turks] and them [the Iranians] is in our language groups…Persian is an Aryan language.”
Professor Ortayli is cognizant of an important fact: the members of Persianate civilization are distinct from (and pre-date) the Islamic era. To this family may be added the cultures and civilizations of the Caucasus (Arran or modern Republic of Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Lezgians, Georgia, etc.) as well as Central Asia.
The Yulduz Turdieva Musical Ensemble of Uzbekistan. The above video displays Uzbek singer Yulduz Turdieva singing in Persian accompanied by Uzbek musicians composing Classical Persian music. Western historians and writers often refer to the non-Arabian civilizations of the Near East, Central Asia, Iran, etc. as “Islamic” or “MIddle Eastern” . What is often not acknowledged is that there is a powerful and very unique culture shared by Iranian and Turkic peoples known as the Persianate or Turco-Iranian civilzation.
Professor Ortayli also draws upon the influence of ancient Iran, especially Zoroastrianism upon the Turks:
“Our worship of nature and creed of Shamanism has been heavily influenced by Zoroastrianism. And in the days of Islam, all of our learned men/teachers who taught us were all Iranians. Even our alphabet is derived from the Iranians…because of our history with the Ottomans we continue to share a special bond with the Iranians”.
The image of Zoroaster at Dura Europus.
The professor also notes of European views of Iranians, past and present:
“When I was a young man, the people of Europe had a different view of the people of Iran, seeing them as gentlemanly and noble…today the Europeans know the Iranians as a people endowed with culture, knowledge and a strong work ethic.”
The professor then made the following observation:
“There are two million Iranians outside of their country and the majority are successful and educated …the fact that they preserve their culture is a miracle…they have made remarkable scientific advances…they work very hard to understand cultures and people’s of the world…”
Professor Orkayli emphasized the importance of the poetry of Molavi (known as Mevlana in Turkey) as the medium in which the Turks can become familiarized with the Persian language.
The Turks have in fact done a remarkable job in preserving this site and are also credited for their efforts in preserving ancient Hellenic sites in Western Turkey, one example being ancient Ephesus.
Cultural ties between the Iranian and Turkic peoples remain profound and deep-rooted.
Iranian actors Homayoun and Morteza Aghili depicting street-toughs known in Persian as “Jahel” in the movie “Topoli” (the Chubby one). Interestingly, the almost exact type of street-toughs can be seen in Turkey – similar attire (hat, shirt, jacket, shoes), gestures, conversing, codes of conduct and even the minutiae of drinking tea, coffee or alcohol are strikingly parallel!
The parallels in culture can be seen in recent history when Reza Shah visited Mustafa Kemal Attaturk in Turkey. Below is the first video in which Reza Shah of Iran converses in Turkish with Mustafa Kamal Ataturk of Turkey. The clip below was filmed in 1934 and was discovered by accident in a fruit shop in Istanbul after 76 years . The full story of this is found in Persian on the www.khandaniha.com website.
Reza Shah of Iran conversing in Turkish with Turkey’s Mustafa Kemal Attaturk. This historic meeting serves as yet another highlight of the long-term historical relations between the Iranians and the Turks which has resulted in the phenomenon known as the Turco-Persian or Persianate civilization.
There appears to be a resurgence of interest in the Persian language in Turkey, as seen in the video below:
Teaching Persian in Turkey – Turkish instructor teaching Persian grammar to students. Note the enthusiasm of the instructor and the students. Iranians and Turks in fact share many common traits, notably in culture, music, foods, etc. While considerably downplayed by Western writers and “nationalists” on all sides, the reality is that Iranians and Turks are (at the very least) cultural cousins.
“Iran and its History in the Collections of the Bulgarian National Library Sts. Cyril and Methodius”
On 10 January 2013 the Bulgarian National Library Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Sofia opened an exhibition of Persian manuscripts, early printed books and archival documents to mark the 115th anniversary of the establishment of official diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and Iran. The exhibition presented some of the most valuable documents related to the history of Iran in the collections of the National Library and aims to attract the attention of scholars, researchers and anyone interested in Iranian culture and history. The exhibition is part of the programme “Days of Iranian Culture in Bulgaria – 2012/2013” coordinated by the National Library, theCultural Representative Office at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Sofia and other institutions. Note that the event was also organized with the help of prominent Iranologist Professor Yuri Stoyanov (member of the Department of the Near and Middle East, Faculty of Languages and Cultures in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in the University of London).
[Click to Enlarge] The Bahjat al Tavarikh (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
The web site of the National Library has a page dedicated to the event, however this particular page is not available in English version – click here…
[Click to Enlarge] The Borhan-i Qati or Borhan-e Qate (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
The Bulgarian National Library manuscript collection of Near Eastern manuscripts of the Ottoman/Safavid/Afsharid/Zand/Qajar periods is reputedly second in significance only to that housed currently in Cairo. This is mainly due to the fact that in the early post-Ottoman Kemalist period (1920s-1930s), a large quantity of Ottoman-era materials were sent from Istanbul to Bulgaria.
[Click to Enlarge] Bustan or Bostan (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
Following the arrival of the manuscripts to their country, local Bulgarian authorities then placed these in the Bulgarian National Library depots). However, due to the Western isolation of Bulgaria as a result of the Cold War, these culturally rich resources have yet to be studied and observed by scholars and laypeople alike.
[Click to Enlarge] The Gulistan or Golestan (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
By all accounts the Bulgarian exhibition of the Persian collection has been received.
[Click to Enlarge] Mantiq al-Tayr (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
Thanks to the exhibition, many rare manuscripts have been exposed to the wider layperson and academic venues.
[Click to Enlarge] Mavahib-e-Aliyya (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
[Click to Enlarge] Qisas_al-Anbiya (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
[Click to Enlarge] Timur Nameh (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
[Click to Enlarge] Uluq beg astronomical tables (Courtesy of Professor Yuri Stoyanov).
Professor Stoyanov will be arranging a presentation of the collection of the Persian manuscript collection of the Bulgarian National Library at the forthcoming Convention of the Association for the Study of Persianate Societies (ASPS) in Sarajevo on September 2-6, 2013.
The exhibition of Persian Manuscripts in Bulgaria has been attended and received.
[سیمین بری ۲ جایزه ترکیه را بخود اختصاص داد] WAALM’s (World Academy of Arts, Literature and Media) Simin Bari Project has won two Turkish music awards :
The Simin Bari project and its awards are celebrated in the Turkish press.
The Simin Bari project is part of WAALM’s endeavour for Cultural Diplomacy, by facilitating the artistic works in a duet by Iranian Meastro Sattar and Young Turkish Rising Star Ersin Faikzade. The duet is the song “Simin Bari” which is sung in Turkish and Persian.
Sattar and Ersin Faikzade singing Simin Bari in Turkish and Persian (Facilitated and Co-produced by WAALM). This is part of WAALM’s initiative to re-awaken the awareness of the strong and long-standing Turco-Iranian cultural ties known as the Turco-Iranian or Persianate civilization. Note that the video is also under post-production.
Sattar (left) and Ersin Faikzade (right) have lent their exemplary creativity and musical talents towards the initiative to re-awaken the long-standing and powerful cultural bonds between the Iranians and the Turks.
WAALM’s project for the promotion of cross-cultural dialogue through the promotion of Persianate or Turco-Persian civilization is consistent with the Iranian Studies initiative of the University of British Columbia’s Asian Studies program which shares the vision of Persianate civilizations transcending nationality and race.
Sattar (left) and Ersin Faikzade (right) have lent their exemplary creativity and musical talents towards the initiative to re-awaken the long-standing and powerful cultural bonds between the Iranians and the Turks.
WAALM’s initiative has been a significant first step in re-awakening the deep-rooted cultural ties between Turks and Iranians (Persians, Kurds, Azaris, Lurs, etc.). The Iranians and Turkic peoples have a shared (yet unappreciated) civilization known as the Turco-Iranian or Persianate civilization – see for example the articles below (for more see here…)
Sattar and Ersin Faikzade singing Simin Bari in Turkish and Persian (Facilitated and Co-produced by WAALM). This is part of WAALM’s initiative to re-awaken the awareness of the strong and long-standing Turco-Iranian cultural ties known as the Turco-Iranian or Persianate civilization. Note that the video is also under post-production.
The song (Simin Bari) was originally composed by the late Iranian Singer and Songwriter Jamshid Sheybani (1922 – 2009). The first time this song was performed as a Turkish-Persian duet was in the 1970s by the Sheybani and the stunningly talented and beautiful Turkish singer, Emil Sayin.
Emel Sayin and the late Jamshid Sheybani singing “Simin Bari” in Turkish and Persian. The keyboards are performed by Maestro Anoushirvan Rohani. As noted by the WAALM diplomatic journal “…Emel Sayin’s visit was in fact due to a fund raising tour benefiting the victims of a devastating earthquake in Turkey and fostering cultural exchange”. Iranians and Turks often rush to each others’ aid during such calamities.
Iranian and Turkish musicians often travelled to each other’s countries to perform songs in Turkish and Persian, with songs often being adopted and adapted in both language. Sattar’s “Gol-e Sangam” for example was performed by Emel Sayin as well and remians a favorite song among the Turks in the 1970s.
The WAALM initiative in reviving Turco-Iranian cultural ties has been very well received by the Turks, as indicated by the Turkish media’s coverage of the Sattar-Ersin Faikzade duet.
At left is Radio Istanbul with their distinguished guest, the young and rising star, Ersin Faikzade and at right is Iranian legendary singer Sattar being cited by the Turkish press. Iranian-Turkish cultural ties predate and transcend the oft-used term “Middle East”, a term of 20th century Western origin.
Greek philosopher Aristotle (Hellenic: Ἀριστοτέλης, Aristotélēs)(384 BC – 322 BC) has noted that “Music directly represents the passions or states of the soul …gentleness, anger, courage, temperance…” (Politics, 8, 1340). Aristotle’s assertion is corroborated by modern research. Dr. Richard G. Pellegrino (Brain specialist & Researcher) has noted that music can “…trigger a flood of human emotions and images that have the ability to instantaneously produce very powerful changes in emotional states…take it from a brain guy…in 25 years of working with the brain, I still cannot affect a person’s state of mind the way that one simple song can…”.
Music is indeed a powerful learning medium, one which the Turks and Iranians share. It is remarkable that to this day, both peoples have a deep appreciation for the music and songs of each other. This is one facet of the long-standing Turco-Iranian civilization which spans from the borders of northern China to the shores of the Aegean Sea. It is a civilization that predates Islam, and one which has arisen from centuries of intermingling between Iranian and Turkic peoples.
The Yulduz Turdieva Musical Ensemble of Uzbekistan. The above video displays Uzbek singer Yulduz Turdieva singing in Persian accompanied by Uzbek musicians composing Classical Persian music. Western historians and writers often refer to the non-Arabian civilizations of the Near East, Central Asia, Iran, etc. as “Islamic” or “MIddle Eastern” . What is often not acknowledged is that there is a powerful and very unique culture shared by Iranian and Turkic peoples known as the Persianate or Turco-Iranian civilzation.
Striking are the cultural modes of expression among Iranians and Turkic peoples. These parallelisms can often be encountered in everyday situations.
Iranian actors Homayoun and Morteza Aghili depicting street-toughs known in Persian as “Jahel” in the movie “Topoli” (the Chubby one). Interestingly, the almost exact type of street-toughs can be seen in Turkey – similar attire (hat, shirt, jacket, shoes), gestures, conversing,
codes of conduct and even the minutiae of drinking tea, coffee or alcohol are strikingly parallel!
The Persian language is also witnessing a revival of interest in Turkey as seen below…
Teaching Persian in Turkey – Turkish instructor teaching Persian grammar to students. Note the enthusiasm of the instructor and the students. Iranians and Turks in fact share many common traits, notably in culture, music, foods, etc. While considerably downplayed by Western writers and “nationalists” on all sides, the reality is that Iranians and Turks are (at the very least) cultural cousins.
