Tajikam Portal

Nawroz in the Islamic Era

Professor Shapur Shahbazi

Introduction

The Islamic conquest altered many Iranian traditions specifically associated with national ideology, imperial institutions, and Zoroastrian rituals. Although Nowruz was an established symbol of these three aspects, it did survive while less significant festivals were eclipsed by their Islamic rivals and gradually became abandoned by indifferent Mongol and Turkish rulers or hostile clerical authorities during Safavid and Qajar periods. Nowruz survived because it was so profoundly engrained in Iranian traditions, history, and cultural memory that Iranian identity and Nowruz mutually buttressed each other, and the emergence of a distinctly Persian Muslim society—and later the emergence of a nation state with the advent of the Safavids—legitimized the ancient national festival and allowed it to flourish with slight modifications or elaborations.

Iran to host Tajik maestro during Nawroz

Press TV

Iran will host the renowned Tajik musician and composer Davlatmand Kholov during the Persian New Year (Nowruz) celebrations in the capital city of Tehran.

Kholov will hold concerts during Iran's 2nd International Nowruz Celebrations which he will attend along with Tajik president from March 26-28, 2011, Mehr News Agency reported.

Iran will host senior officials from the Persian-speaking states of Tajikistan and Afghanistan who will join representatives from the countries that celebrate Nowruz such as Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq, Albania, and Turkey.

Davlatmand Kholov is an expert in the southern folk genre of Tajik music called Falak and is best known for his works on traditional instruments of Dotar, Qeychak, and Setar.