History

Parviz Khosravani was born on October 22, 1922, in Mahallat County, a city in Markazi Province of Iran. His family background provided him with both privilege and responsibility. His father, Mirza Hashem Mahallat, was a wealthy and influential man in the region, whose wealth gave his sons the opportunity to pursue careers in politics, the military, and administration. Parviz was …

Houshmand Aghili (August 2, 1937 – September 14, 1404) was a prominent Iranian singer and composer whose career spanned nearly seven decades. Known for his dedication to traditional and classical Persian music, he became one of the voices that bridged the pre-revolutionary and diasporic Iranian cultural experiences. Aghili’s music combined the elegance of Iran’s radif-based traditions with lyrical melodies that …

Ebrahim Solati, better known by his stage name Shahram Solati, is one of the most prominent figures in the history of Iranian pop music. Born on November 10, 1979, in Tehran’s Sarcheshmeh neighborhood, he developed an early interest in music and later pursued professional training at the Tehran Conservatory of Music, where he studied piano, clarinet, and voice. His musical …

The years between 1940 and 1943 occupy a special place in the history of Iranian theater. Scholars and researchers often refer to the subsequent years of 1944–1945 as the era of stage theater in Iran, but the roots of that flourishing lie in the conditions and cultural atmosphere of the early 1940s. This period marks a decisive stage in the …

ranian television of the 1980s and 1990s underwent a unique transformation in the field of children’s programming. During a time marked by social, political, and cultural changes following the 1979 Islamic Revolution and the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), television producers sought to balance entertainment with educational and moral lessons. Out of this movement came a wave of children’s series designed not …

In September 1955, Tehran was at the center of heated debates and media attention concerning the government’s opium supply and the violent incidents that occurred at dispensaries—known locally as pacharagh. These establishments, which had existed in various forms for centuries, were deeply embedded in Iran’s social fabric, but they also symbolized vice, addiction, and, in the eyes of reformers, the …

The decades leading up to the 1979 Iranian Revolution were years of rapid cultural transformation. Tehran, the bustling capital, witnessed a surge of modernization under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, where Western cultural influences merged with Iranian traditions. Nightclubs, cabarets, and cinemas flourished, becoming key elements of the city’s nightlife. Among the prominent figures shaping this entertainment world was Parviz Hejazi, …

The cabaret industry in Iran, although relatively short-lived in its classic form, occupies a fascinating chapter in the cultural and social history of the country. Unlike Europe, where cabarets developed in the late 19th century as artistic and satirical venues, and unlike the United States, where jazz clubs and musical theaters shaped nightlife, the Iranian cabaret grew from a complex …

The event of September 17, 1978, widely remembered in Iran as Black Friday (Shanbeh-ye Siah) and in some accounts as the “September 17 Massacre”, stands as one of the most decisive and tragic moments in the final year of the Pahlavi monarchy. On that Friday morning, in Tehran’s Jhaleh Square (today Martyrs’ Square on Mojahedin-e-Islam Street), government forces opened fire …

Houshmand Aghili (August 2, 1937 – September 14, 1404) was an Iranian singer, composer, and performer of traditional and classical Persian music. Over the span of seven decades, his voice became associated with refinement, elegance, and nostalgia, bridging generations both inside Iran and in the diaspora. Aghili’s career began in the mid-1950s, and from the very start, his training under …