On December 17, 1955, the Officers’ Club in Tehran hosted a performance unlike anything the city had witnessed before. The main attraction was a young man named Khalil Tarighat Pima, better known to the public as Khalil Oqab. At just 28 years old, he had already begun to attract attention through extraordinary demonstrations of physical power, endurance, and courage. That night marked one of the first moments when his performances became public, organized, and widely discussed, transforming him from a local strongman into a national phenomenon.
This event did not merely showcase individual strength; it signaled the emergence of a new cultural form in Iran—the modern circus, rooted in traditional Iranian athletics yet open to global influences. Over the following decades, Khalil Oqab would become known as the “Father of the Iranian Circus”, a title earned through innovation, perseverance, and a lifelong dedication to physical culture and popular entertainment.
Early Life and Childhood in Shiraz
Khalil Tarighat Pima was born on April 1, 1924, in the historic city of Shiraz, a place renowned for poetry, culture, and tradition. Shiraz in the early twentieth century was a city where ancient customs coexisted with gradual modernization. Traditional sports, storytelling, and performances were still deeply embedded in everyday life, particularly among the working classes.
