Discover Iran

In our ninth episode, we explore Shahnameh: The Book of Kings by Ferdowsi. This national epic is the longest poem written by a single poet more than a thousand years ago! With more than 50,000 verses, Shahnameh is four times longer than Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey combined. It is a book full of love stories, tragedies, battles, and life lessons and one of the main reasons that Iranians still speak Persian to this day. Join us on this fun journey to find out more about Shahnameh and its many stories, heroes, demons, fairies, and magical creatures!Hamid Rahmanian is an award-winning artist whose work centers on theater, moving image, and graphic arts. Since 2008, his work has focused on revitalizing Iran’s epic tale, Shahnameh, for a modern audience. Visit www.kingorama.com for more information.

In our eighth episode, we explore the different survival strategies used by the people of Persia and how these strategies impacted their architecture, culinary traditions, and their way of life throughout history. Join us on this fun journey to find out more!Our guest for this episode is Mr. Houchang Chehabi. He is a scholar of Iranian studies at Boston University where he works as a professor of International relations and history.

This episode is the final part of our journey on exploring Persian music where we answer questions such as: What makes Persian music different from music from other parts of the world? What are the main characteristics of Persian music? What are the common rhythms in Persian music? Has Persian music influenced OR been influenced by music from other parts of the world? Is Persian music notated the same way as western music?Our guest is Parham Haghighi. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and is a New York-based professional musician, singer, and educator. Parham is also the music director at Pardis for Children, where he teaches the Persian language and culture through music. 

This episode is the second part of our journey on exploring Persian music where we answer questions such as: What are some of the most popular musical instruments in Iran? What materials are usually used to make Persian instruments? Are there any special instruments that are used during holidays, weddings, or ceremonies? Our guest is Parham Haghighi. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and is a New York-based professional musician, singer, and educator. Parham is also the music director at Pardis for Children, where he teaches the Persian language and culture through music.

In our fifth episode, we start exploring the rich world of Persian music. This episode is the first of a three-part series (Episodes 5, 6, and 7) where we answer questions such as: How many different types of Persian music do we have? Is there any difference between Persian music and Iranian music? Are the scales in Persian music the same as in Western music?Our guest is Parham Haghighi. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, and is a New York-based professional musician, singer, and educator. Parham is also the music director at Pardis for Children, where he teaches the Persian language and culture through music.

In the fourth episode, we explore Persian culinary culture and cuisine. Why is food such an important part of Iranian culture? What are some of the most common ingredients and spices in Persian food? Why is saffron so precious? What are some of the typical meals Iranians eat? Join us on this delicious journey to find the answers! Our guest in this episode is Najmieh Batmanghlij. In the past 40 years, Ms. Batmanghlij has written e cookbooks on Persian food and has shared her delicious recipes on many different media platforms. She was the guest chef at the First Lady Michelle Obama’s White House Nowruz Celebration in April 2016.

In our third episode, we explore the Persian language and its origins. How long has Persian been spoken? Which countries speak the language? What are some of the common words between English and Persian? Join us on this fun journey to find out the answers!Our guest for this episode is Sheida Dayani. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and teaches Persian language and literature at Harvard University. She is currently writing a book on Iranian theater. She is also a poet and lyricist.

In our second episode, we explore Iranian homes and lifestyle. Do Iranians have many guests? Are their kitchens bigger? What is a Sofreh? Why do they have so many extra mattresses and pillows? Join us on this fun journey to find out the answers!Our guest for this episode is Hooman Talebi. He is an architect and designer who leads an architecture school in Iran, teaches university students in the UK, and runs all sorts of fun workshops on architecture at archiKID.

In the first episode, we explore Iran as a country. We learn about its population, geography, language, and ethnic groups. Join us on this journey!Our guest for this episode is Farnaz Fassihi. She is a journalist for The New York Times covering Iran. Prior to the Times, Farnaz was a senior writer and war correspondent for the Wall Street Journal for 17 years based in the Middle East.

Pardis Explorers is a biweekly podcast for children on the arts and culture of Iran. This podcast is produced by Pardis for Children and Melody Safavi, in the hope of introducing our Iranian and non-Iranian young friends to the beauty of Persian culture. In each episode, we set off to explore different aspects of this rich culture such as Persian music, art, language, poetry, cuisine, social habits, and celebrations by answering the children’s questions with the help of an expert. Join us on this journey!