In our ninth episode, we explore Shahnameh: The Book of Kings by Ferdowsi. This national epic is the longest poem written by a single poet more than a thousand years ago! With more than 50,000 verses, Shahnameh is four times longer than Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey combined. It is a book full of love stories, tragedies, battles, and life lessons and one of the main reasons that Iranians still speak Persian to this day. Join us on this fun journey to find out more about Shahnameh and its many stories, heroes, demons, fairies, and magical creatures!

Hamid Rahmanian is an award-winning artist whose work centers on theater, moving image, and graphic arts. Since 2008, his work has focused on revitalizing Iran’s epic tale, Shahnameh, for a modern audience. Visit www.kingorama.com for more information.

In our eighth episode, we explore the different survival strategies used by the people of Persia and how these strategies impacted their architecture, culinary traditions, and their way of life throughout history. Join us on this fun journey to find out more!

Our guest for this episode is Mr. Houchang Chehabi. He is a scholar of Iranian studies at Boston University where he works as a professor of International relations and history.

This episode is the final part of our journey on exploring Persian music where we answer questions such as: What makes Persian music different from music from other parts of the world? What are the main characteristics of Persian music? What are the common rhythms in Persian music? Has Persian music influenced OR been influenced by music from other parts of the world? Is Persian music notated the same way as western music?

Our guest is Parham Haghighi. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and is a New York-based professional musician, singer, and educator. Parham is also the music director at Pardis for Children, where he teaches the Persian language and culture through music.