Zoroastrianism
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Iran's zurkhaneh bodybuildersPraying in the house of strength
In Iran, a centuries-old form of strength training that combines athletics and religious ritual is still practiced to this day. Reporting for Qantara.de, Marian Brehmer paid a visit to one of these ancient "houses of strength" in Shiraz
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Islamic Iran's Zoroastrian legacy
In 633 AD, Muslim Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula attacked the Zoroastrian empire of Persia, and following a 21-year war, conquered the ancient realm. Iran’s official religion changed from Zoroastrian to Islam; however, 1367 years after that conquest, ordinary Iranians still celebrate various Zoroastrian traditions and rituals. By Changiz M. Varzi
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Treasures of the ancient Middle EastDeciphering the first written language
Some time around 3200 BC, humans living in the ancient Middle East developed the first written language. George Smith presented fragments of the Flood narrative from the ancient Middle Eastern story of Gilgamesh at a conference in London in 1872 – and mankind’s first epic was rediscovered. By Melanie Christina Mohr
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Goethe and ZoroastrianismThe eternal battle between good and evil
All his life Johann Wolfgang von Goethe felt a strong connection with Persia. Not only did he feel a spiritual affinity with the poet Hafez, he was also inspired and fascinated by the teachings and practices of Zarathustra, who lived in the first millennium before Christ. Melanie Christina Mohr reports
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The culture and faith of the YazidisDemonised and eternally misunderstood
Their persecution by Islamic State has put the Yazidis in the international spotlight. In her book on the Yazidis, Birgul Acikyildiz provides insights into the culture and faith of this endangered community. By Ulrich von Schwerin
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Nowruz: Persian New Year
Dances, colourful carpets, fire jumps and the "seven S's": Nowruz (literally "new day") marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in the Persian calendar. The feast is celebrated by 300 million people around the world.
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Nowruz: one of the world's oldest festivals"My paleness is yours, your colour is mine!"
The Iranian New Year celebration "Nowruz" has been a feature of Persian culture for more than 2,500 years. The roots of this festival lie in the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism. Today, more than 300 million people all over the world celebrate Nowruz. Shohreh Karimian looks back at the history of this new year celebration and explains some of its customs