Department of Iranian Studies, Yerevan State University
and
Armenian Association for Academic Partnership and Support
Cordially invite you to participate in the ARMACAD lecture on
“The Zūrkhāna between tradition and change”
by
Dr. Lloyd Ridgeon
Date: 31 May 2010, Monday
Time: 16.00
Country: Armenia
City: Yerevan
Venue: Department of Iranian Studies, Yerevan State University
Deadline to Register: 27 May 2010
The Zūrkhāna is perceived to be an old, Iranian institution where “ancient sports” are performed in an environment of ideal ethical behaviour in which the normal social structures are transcended by social levelling. The ritual exercises are interpreted in different ways, and this multivocality lends itself to multiple identities among Iranians. Recent developments in Iran have resulted in a greater interest in the institution, suggesting that it is not just a tourist attraction, and suggested reforms of the zūrkhūna indicate that it is undergoing a process of
modernization which can be witnessed in other aspects of Iranian society. The lecture by Dr. Lloyd Ridgeon will reveal the history of the zūrkhūna from ancient times till our days with the special attention of the futuwwa ideology to zūrkhūna rituals.
BIO: Dr. Ridgeon is a Reader in Islamic Studies at the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Glasgow. He teaches courses on Classical Islam, Modern Islamic Thought, Modern Iran, etc. His research interests comprise Persian Literature, Iranian History and Culture, Classical and Modern Sufism and Islamic History. His recent publications include:
Persian Metaphysics and Mysticism (Curzon 2002), ISBN 070070666-6, pp. 241.
Sufi Castigator: Ahmad Kasravi and the Iranian Mystical Tradition (Routledge, 2005), ISBN 0415316359, pp. 332.
“War and Peace in Islam” in P. Schmidt-Leukal (ed), War and Peace in World Religions (SCM Press, 2004). ISBN 0334029384.
“Makhmalbaf’s Broken Mirror: The Socio-Political Significance of Modern Iranian Cinema” Durham Middle East Papers, 2000.
“The Islamic Apocalypse: Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s Moment of Innocence” in Brent Plate (ed), Representing Religion in World Cinema (Palgrave: 2003). ISBN 1403960518. pp. 145-58