ANCIENT IRAN NEWS

News of research on the culture, history, religions and languages of ancient Iran

Most Important News:

October 14, 2026
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1 minutes

Twelfth Biennial Ehsan and Latifeh Yarshater Conference on Iranian Studies, Paris

The twelfth Ehsan and Latifeh Yarshater Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies takes…

October 12, 2026
Reading time:
1 minutes

Online Lecture: “Sada, the Shāhnāma, and the Reinvention of the Persian Past”

The Azhyar Foundation for Ancient Iranian Studies will hold another lecture in…

October 10, 2026
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2 minutes

The First Issue of Gosan Almanac Published on the Occasion of Mehrgan 2585 (1405)

We are pleased to announce the publication of the first issue of…

October 8, 2026
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1 minutes

The SSZ Conference and Academic Symposium

The Society of Scholars of Zoroastrianism will host an academic event titled…

October 5, 2026
Reading time:
1 minutes

Saadat, Yusef. 2026. “Eschatologia Iranica IV: Automated Judgment in Zoroastrian Eschatology; The Way Činwad Bridge Works.” Iranian Studies: 1–17.

Yusef Saadat, a researcher at CERES, Ruhr University Bochum, has published a…

October 2, 2026
Reading time:
3 minutes

Colloquium on Method and History in the Study of the Jews of Sasanian Babylonia, 12–13 October 2026

“Method and History in the Study of the Jews of Sasanian Babylonia,”…

October 1, 2026
Reading time:
2 minutes

Lecture in Persian by Professor Donald Stilo on Modern Iranian Languages and Dialects

Saturday, October 10, 2026 — 6:15 PM local time Sufi CenterAnna Paulownastraat…

October 1, 2026
Reading time:
1 minutes

Kevin van Bladel to Give Lecture on the Persian Empire and Persian Language

Kevin van Bladel to Give Lecture on the Persian Empire and Persian…

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A wide 16:9 presentation image showing a vertically oriented academic conference poster centered on the canvas. The poster appears sharp and slightly elevated with a soft shadow, while the empty space on the left and right is filled by an enlarged, heavily Gaussian-blurred version of the same poster, creating a color-matched blurred pillarbox effect in warm beige, muted green, red, and blue tones. The central poster has an aged parchment look and features French and English text for the twelfth biennial Ehsan and Latifeh Yarshater conference on Iranian studies. Its main title reads “Witches and demons, kings and prophets: The Shāhnāma and its afterlife in the Persian manuscript tradition.” In the middle is a Persian miniature-style illustration of an armored figure confronting a demon-like creature beside a tree. Additional event details appear in blue text along the left side, and several institutional logos line the bottom edge. Overall, the image is designed as a polished widescreen layout that preserves the original poster in the center while extending it visually with a soft, harmonious blurred background.
Events
Twelfth Biennial Ehsan and Latifeh Yarshater Conference on Iranian Studies, Paris

The twelfth Ehsan and Latifeh Yarshater Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies takes as its theme...

admin October 14, 2026
A 16:9 wide image featuring a central lecture poster with a blurred pillarbox effect on the left and right sides. The poster is for the Azhyar Foundation for Ancient Iranian Studies online lecture series. The lecture is titled "Sada, the Shāhnāma, and the Reinvention of the Persian Past" by Ali Shapuran. The poster includes a portrait of the speaker, his academic biography, and an abstract discussing the origins of the Sada fire festival. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, 28 October 2026.
Events
Online Lecture: “Sada, the Shāhnāma, and the Reinvention of the Persian Past”

The Azhyar Foundation for Ancient Iranian Studies will hold another lecture in its New Words...

admin October 12, 2026
A 16:9 wide composition featuring the cover of the Gosan cultural and arts periodical centered in sharp focus. The portrait-oriented cover appears slightly elevated with a soft drop shadow, while the left and right sides of the frame are filled with enlarged, heavily blurred versions of the same artwork to create a blurred pillarbox effect. The cover has a clean white upper section with Persian title elements and a muted illustration below showing an ancient winged figure in a stone-relief style. The blurred side areas match the cover’s soft beige, gray, and warm gold tones, creating a cohesive and elegant presentation.
Other news
The First Issue of Gosan Almanac Published on the Occasion of Mehrgan 2585 (1405)

We are pleased to announce the publication of the first issue of Gosan Almanac, coinciding...

Shahrbanoo Moosakhani October 10, 2026
A widescreen 16:9 promotional poster for the SSZ Academic Symposium, organized by the Society of Scholars of Zoroastrianism. The original rectangular poster is enlarged and sharply displayed in the center, surrounded by narrow, heavily Gaussian-blurred extensions of the same artwork, creating a cohesive pillarboxing effect with a subtle shadow. The poster features a predominantly black background, white torn-paper dividers, light-blue headings, and historical imagery associated with Zoroastrianism and ancient Persian civilization. At the top are the society's triangular emblem, ancient stone reliefs, and a manuscript featuring historical script. Institutional logos include the University of Toronto, FEZANA, ZAMC, the Zoroastrian Association, and FIRES. The central text announces the SSZ Academic Symposium, conducted by Professor Miguel Ángel Andrés-Toledo with Dr. Céline Redard, Dr. Ted Good, and Dr. Parvaneh Pourshariati. Surrounding illustrations include colorful Persian manuscript paintings, an inscribed stone artifact, an ancient bearded sculpture, and a fire altar beneath stone arches. The lower section displays the symposium's educational motto, the date Saturday, November 14, 2026, the time 9:30–11:30 a.m. Central Time, and the Zoom link https://bit.ly/2026-SSZ. The overall design combines academic information, Zoroastrian cultural heritage, and a softly blurred cinematic background.
Events
The SSZ Conference and Academic Symposium

The Society of Scholars of Zoroastrianism will host an academic event titled “The SSZ Conference,...

Saba Madhani October 8, 2026
First page of Yusef Saadat’s 2026 article in Iranian Studies, titled “Eschatologia Iranica IV: Automated Judgment in Zoroastrian Eschatology; The Way Činwad Bridge Works,” showing the journal and Association for Iranian Studies logos, author affiliation with CERES at Ruhr University Bochum, DOI 10.1017/irn.2026.10171, and publication details.
Journals/Articles
Saadat, Yusef. 2026. “Eschatologia Iranica IV: Automated Judgment in Zoroastrian Eschatology; The Way Činwad Bridge Works.” Iranian Studies: 1–17.

Yusef Saadat, a researcher at CERES, Ruhr University Bochum, has published a new article in...

admin October 5, 2026
A widescreen archival-style image featuring an ancient manuscript page centered against a softly blurred background created from an enlarged version of the same manuscript. The central parchment sheet has a warm beige and golden-brown tone, with visible signs of age including faded areas, stains, worn edges, tears, holes, and irregular parchment texture. Dense handwritten text in dark brown ink fills the page, written in an ancient Hebrew or Aramaic script with closely spaced horizontal lines and variations in ink intensity caused by aging and manuscript wear. The surrounding left and right areas form a blurred pillarbox effect, extending the parchment colors and script patterns into a soft, out-of-focus backdrop that matches the central document. The main manuscript appears slightly raised from the background with a subtle shadow, creating a layered presentation that emphasizes the historical artifact. The overall composition evokes a museum display or scholarly archive, highlighting the texture, craftsmanship, and historical character of an ancient Jewish manuscript fragment.
Events
Colloquium on Method and History in the Study of the Jews of Sasanian Babylonia, 12–13 October 2026

“Method and History in the Study of the Jews of Sasanian Babylonia,” organized by Geoffrey...

Saeede Amirpoor Saeed October 2, 2026
Wide 16:9 image featuring a sharp, vertically oriented poster for Professor Donald Stilo’s lecture on “Modern Iranian Languages and Dialects,” organized by the Noruz Cultural and Artistic Center. The poster is centered, with enlarged, heavily blurred copies of the same artwork filling the sides in coordinated cream, green, warm orange, and dark teal tones. A subtle shadow gives the central poster depth. Professor Stilo appears with a white beard, a patterned cap, and a light checked shirt. The Noruz logo sits at the upper left, while floral motifs and a colorful bird decorate the lower left. Persian text announces the lecture for Saturday, October 10, 2026, starting at 6:15 PM local time. The venue is listed in English as Sufi Center, Anna Paulownastraat 78, 2518 BJ Den Haag, the Netherlands.
Events
Lecture in Persian by Professor Donald Stilo on Modern Iranian Languages and Dialects

Saturday, October 10, 2026 — 6:15 PM local time Sufi CenterAnna Paulownastraat 78, 2518 BJ...

Shahrbanoo Moosakhani October 1, 2026
Promotional banner for the USC–Farhang Foundation Annual Distinguished Lecture Series. The left half shows an ancient Persian stone relief with two bearded figures wearing tall pleated headdresses. On the right, against a white background, large red text announces “Persian Empire and Persian Language.” The event features Professor Kevin van Bladel of Yale University, whose headshot appears beside his name. The lecture is scheduled for October 12, 2026, from 4 to 6 PM at USC Michelson Hall, MCB 102. The USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Department of Middle East Studies logos appear at the lower right. The lecture explores the relationship between the expansion of the Persian Empire, contact among speakers of different languages, and historical changes in Persian grammar.
Events
Kevin van Bladel to Give Lecture on the Persian Empire and Persian Language

Kevin van Bladel to Give Lecture on the Persian Empire and Persian LanguageProfessor Kevin van...

admin October 1, 2026
Events
Professor Donald Stilo to Speak on Modern Iranian Languages and Dialects

The Noruz Center for Iranian Languages, Cultures and Arts in The Hague will host a...

Saba Madhani September 26, 2026
Events
International Meeting “The Medes: 25 Years Afterwards,” Accademia Galileiana di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti in Padova, 29 September–2 October 2026.

International Meeting “The Medes: 25 Years Afterwards,” Accademia Galileiana di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti in...

admin September 24, 2026
Journals/Articles
Robert Rollinger and Julian Degen (eds.), Contextualizing Imperial Borderlands: 9th Century BCE – 9th Century CE and Beyond, Afro-Eurasian Transformations – Ancient Worlds and Beyond, vol. 1, 2026.

The first volume of the new series Afro-Eurasian Transformations – Ancient Worlds and Beyond, edited...

admin September 24, 2026
Journals/Articles
Archaeology Journal, Issue 1, Volume 5, 2025.

The first issue of the fifth volume of Archaeology Journal contains six research articles, available...

admin September 23, 2026
Journals/Articles
Bulletin of the Asia Institute 32 (2024–2025).

Volume 32 (2024–2025) of the Bulletin of the Asia Institute has been published. Newly available...

admin September 23, 2026
تصویر صفحه وب اعلامیه استخدام دانشگاه شیکاگو با عنوان «آگهی استخدام: استادیار تاریخ پیشامدرن خاورمیانه اسلامی یا آسیای مرکزی، دانشگاه شیکاگو»، دارای برچسب‌های «اطلاعیه‌ها» و «استخدام» و تاریخ انتشار ۷ اوت ۲۰۲۶، به همراه پاراگراف مقدماتی درباره دعوت دپارتمان مطالعات خاورمیانه به ارسال درخواست برای موقعیت هیئت علمی تمام‌وقت
Job offers
Assistant Professor in Pre-Modern History of the Islamicate Middle East or Central Asia — University of Chicago

University of Chicago, Department of Middle Eastern Studies Position Title: Assistant Professor in Pre-Modern History...

Shahrbanoo Moosakhani September 17, 2026
Journals/Articles
Huseini, Said Reza. 2026. “Local Government Reflected in Bactrian Documents.” Afghanistan 9, no. 1: 85–103.

A recent article examines the structures of local government in Bactria on the basis of...

admin September 11, 2026
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