Culture and Customs of Iran Elton L. Daniel Ali Akbar Mahdi Greenwood Press CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF IRAN Iran. Cartography by Bookcomp, Inc. CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF IRAN Elton L. Daniel and Ali Akbar Mahdi Culture and Customs of the Middle East Greenwood Press Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Daniel, Elton L. Culture and customs of Iran / Elton L. Daniel and Ali Akbar Mahdi. p. cm. — (Culture and customs of the Middle East, ISSN 1550–1310) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–313–32053–5 (alk. paper) 1. Iran—Civilization. 2. Iran—Intellectual life. 3. Iran—Social life and customs. I. Mahdi, ‘Ali Akbar. II. Title. DS266.D265 2006 955—dc22 2006022941 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 2006 by Elton L. Daniel and Ali Akbar Mahdi All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2006022941 ISBN: 0–313–32053–5 ISSN: 1550–1310 First published in 2006 Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. www.greenwood.com Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984). 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Every reasonable effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright materials in this book, but in some instances this has proven impossible. The authors and publisher will be glad to receive information leading to a more complete acknowledgments in subsequent printings of the book and in the meantime extend their apologies for any omissions. Contents Series Foreword vii Preface ix Chronology xiii 1. Introduction: The Land and the People 1 2. Religions and Religious Life 37 3. Literature 65 4. Drama and Cinema 93 5. Architecture 119 6. Carpets 137 7. Food and Dining 149 8. Family, Women, and Gender Relations 157 9. Holidays, Festivals, and Annual Events 177 10. Music and Dance 189 Glossary 211 Selected Bibliography 215 Index 223 Series Foreword At last! Culture and Customs of the Middle East fi lls a deep void in reference literature by providing substantial individual volumes on crucial countries in the e xplosive region. The series is available at a critical juncture, with, among other events, the recent war on Iraq, the continued wrangling by U.S. interests for control of regional oil resources, the quest for Palestinian i ndependence, and the spread of religious fundamentalist violence and repression. The authoritative, objective, and engaging cultural overviews complement and balance the volley of news bites. As with the other Culture and Customs series, the narrative focus is on contemporary culture and life, in a historical context. Each volume is written for students and general readers by a country expert. Contents include: Chronology Context, including land, people, and brief historical overview Religion and world view Literature Media Cinema Art and architecture/housing Cuisine and dress Gender, marriage, and family Social customs and lifestyle Music and dance Glossary Bibliography Index Photos and country map Preface G reenwood’s series on the culture and customs of different countries is a wonderful way of introducing the intricacies of various cultures to English- speaking readers. We are glad to have the opportunity to be a part of this series by exposing the rich and varied elements of Iranian society and culture. We have tried our best to provide an accurate presentation of various aspects of the cultures and customs of Iran. However, wr iting about the culture and customs of a multicultural society like Iran is not without its challenges. We believe i t is important to acknowledge the challenges we faced and the extent of coverage we offer. First, Iran has had a long and tumultuous history. The country has been invaded and infl uenced by foreign forces several times. These invasions often interrupted the social and economic life of the country, changed demograph- ics and ethnic composition, and infl uenced the culture and customs practiced in daily life. Second, ethnically, religiously, linguistically, and regionally speaking, Iran is a very diverse society, despite the fact that P ersians make up the dominant ethnic group, the Persian language is the offi cial language, and Shiism is the dominant religion. This diversity can hardly be described in simple catego- rizations. Cultural customs associated with the same event often take vari- ous forms in different regions among different ethnic, regional, and religious groups. Third, culture is a dynamic phenomenon, subject to change and interpre- tation. The meaning and signifi cance of an event and the customs associated with it vary for people of different religions, ethnicities, and social classes within the same society. When affected by the ideological and political trends