Iran Heritage Foundation

1. Iran Heritage Foundation
presents
The Seven Beauties
Haft Paykar of Nezami
An Evening of Persian Mystical Dance
Linbury Studio, The Royal Opera House

2. Iran Heritage Foundation
4 Stanhope Gate, London W1K 1AH
Tel: 020 7493 4766 Fax: 020 4799 9293
Website: www.iranheritage.org E-mail: info@iranheritage.org
Charity No.: 1001785
Organising Committee:
Sima Bozorgmehr
Maryam Alaghband
Maria Bejarano
Shusha Guppy
Soussi Kerman
Sidigheh Rastegar
David Suratgar
Our special ‘Thanks’ to:
Hossein Amirsadeghi
Bijan & Lian Daneshmand
This evening would not have been
possible without the support
of the following:
Farad Azima
Bahman Irvani
Sedigheh Rastegar

3. 7.00 pm Dr. Michael Barry
An introductory talk on Nezami
Ganjavi and his masterpiece
the Haft Paykar
7.45 pm Interval
8.15 pm The Nakissa Dance Company
perform the Haft Paykar
Linbury Studio
Royal Opera House
Friday 12th July 2002

4. Dr. Michael Barry was born in the U.S., but is resident in France
where he lectures at the Institute for Iranian Studies of the
Sorbonne. He is an acknowledged expert on medieval and modern
Afghanistan, and his work over three decades has ranged from
anthropological research to leading humanitarian relief teams for
the French Government and the United Nations. He is a published
poet and prize-winning author in French.
His French verse translation of Jami’s Yusuf-o Zolaykha has been
performed by the Comédie Françoise, and the French version of
his study on Colour and Symbolism in Islamic Architecture was
awarded the medal for art history by the Académie Françoise in
1997.
His complete French verse translation of Nezami’s Haft Paykar,
accompanied by a long and novel study of the poet’s sources, work
and meaning, was awarded Iran’s prize for ‘Book of the Year’ in
Persian Studies in February 2002. He has recently published book
on ‘Behzad of Herat - Painter, Poet, King and Saint’.
DR. MICHAEL BARRY

5. Nezami (1141-1209) was born in Ganjeh in the Seljuq era. He was regard-
ed as one the greatest narrative and romantic poets of Persian literature,
and was instrumental for introducing a colloquial and realistic style.
Little is known of his life. He was orphaned at a young age, and spent the
whole of his life in Ganjeh, leaving only once to meet the ruling prince.
Only a few of his odes and lyrics have survived, and his reputation
rests on his great ‘The Quintuplet’ (Kahmseh), a narrative of fife long
poems, encompassing more than 30.000 rhymed couplets, including
‘The Treasury of Mysteries’ (Makhzan al-asrar), ‘Khosrow and Shirin’
(Khosrowo-Shirin), ‘Leyla and Majnun’ (Leyli o-Majnun), ‘Seven
Beauties’ (Haft Paykar) and ‘The Book of Alexander the Great’
(Eskandar-nameh). Drawing inspiration from the Persian epic poets
Ferdowsi and Sana’i, this work proved him to be the first great dra-
matic poet of Persian literature, and as a result during the 15th to 17th
centuries Persian rulers commissioned more manuscript paintings of
Nezami’s stories than of any other writer.
Nezami is admired in Persian-speaking lands for his originality and
clarity of style, though Jami, the chief Persian-language poet and highest
ranking Islamic philosopher of the 15th century cautions that although
Nezami’s works may appear to be fairy tales, they have the profoundest
spiritual meaning. The late Italian scholar, Alessandro Bausani, may have
come close to the essence of Nezami’s work when he suggested that the
characters of the Makhzan al-asrar came to loom almost as neo-
Platon­ic archetypes in the eyes of later medieval Eastern Muslim poets,
painters and readers. Certainly, the work of such great poets as Hafez,
Rumi and Saadi clearly shows the impression Nezami has made on
them.
NEZAMI GANJAVI

6. The poem The Seven Beauties was completed in 1197, and recounts the
times of the pre-Islamic Sassanian ruler Bahram Gur, who discovers a
mysterious room in his palace in which there are portraits of seven
princesses, one from each of the seven parts of the world: India,
Byzantium, Caucasia, Russia, Mauritania, China and Persia.
The pleasure-loving Bahram sends his messengers to each of the
regions to secure the princesses as his brides, and orders his architect,
Shida, to build a palace with seven domed pavilions for them. In the
course of time, Bahram spends many hours with each of them, listen-
ing to their tales. But this is a time of magic as when the king enters the
maze of the seven pavilions it is the first day of winter, yet when he
emerges it is the first day of spring and he learns from his subjects
that he has actually spent seven years with his seven brides. The king
has, in fact, undergone a mystical ascent through the seven heavenly
spheres, of which the seven princesses are the seven guardian archan-
gels. Through their tales they have imparted the wisdom of the
universe unto the king’s soul, and thus provided him with ethical
guides of conduct and governance, and enlightened him in the ways of
both this world and the divine realm beyond. He is thus able to
restore world justice before he finally disappears into the recess of a
magical cave.
The tales, whilst appearing to be stories of love, are deeply
spiritual and examine morality, virtue and justice.
HAFT PAYKAR
(The Seven Beauties)

7. The Princess of India of the first sphere tells Bahram
the tale of an Indian king who hears of a mysterious
town in China where everyone is dressed in black.
Curious to know their secret, he travels there and is
imprisoned at the top of a tower. Saved by Garuda (the
Bird-god) he becomes the guest of an enchanting
fairy surrounded by ladies-in waiting. She
intoxicates him with desire but refuses to give herself
to him, offering instead one of her entourage each
evening. On the thirtieth night, he can wait no
longer and boldly touches the fairy. She tells him he
must wait one more night for his wishes to be fulfiled,
but he refuses. Telling him to close his eyes while
she undresses, she disappears, and when he opens
his eyes again he finds himself back in the
mysterious town - dressed in black .
The Indian Beauty
Black Dome
- Day of Saturn -
Saturday

8. The Princess of Byzantine of the second sphere tells
Bahram the tale of a king whose concubines are all
bewitched by an old hunch-backed woman living in
the palace. Each concubine aspires to become his
wife, though none has any love for the king. The king
is discouraged, but at last meets a young woman of
perfect beauty, absolute modesty and obedience,
but who for some mysterious reason refuses to
share his bed. Despite the hunchback’s spells, the
young woman’s virtue remains intact, she denounces
the old witch who is chased out of the harem.The king
slowly falls under the spell of the young woman, and
as his love strengthens he becomes a slave of his own
slave.
The Byzantine Beauty
Golden Dome
- Day of the Sun -
Sunday

9. The Caucasian Princess of the third sphere tells Bahram
the tale of Bashr, a young nobleman who glimpses the
face of a married woman at the corner of a street and
falls instantly in love with her. Bashr goes in search of
her and finds himself in the company of a rationalist
philosopher. As they travel, they get lost in a desert
where they discover a large jar full of pure water. After
quenching their thirst, the philosopher bathes in the jar,
but hardly has he touched the water than he falls into
a bottomless abyss. Bashr gathers together his com-
panion’s belongings and leaves to return them to his
family. To his surprise, the window is the woman
whose face he has sought through his travels. The
window congratulates herself that fate has rid her
of so mean a husband and finally marries Bashr.
The Caucasian Princess
Green Dome
- Day of the Moon -
Monday

10. The Russian Princess of the fourth sphere tells Bahram
the tale of a Slav princess of perfect beauty, subtle
artistic talent and intelligence, who refuses to marry
believing no lover could be worthy of her. She paints
her own portrait on a roll of silk, hangs it on the door
of the Kremlin, and persuades the king to allow her
to seek solitude on the ramparts of his castle hidden
from view by a magic gate and defended by talismans.
The fame of the portrait spreads throughout the world
and countless suitors seek her hand. However, she sets
four conditions: the suitor must be handsome and
noble, cleat his own passage to the castle, discover the
hidden gate and finally solve the enigmas set by the
Princess. If he fails to do so his head will be cut off.
Suitors come from every land and risk their lives, until
at last there comes a prince who, thanks to his mas-
ter’s teaching, has the wisdom to overcome the
four challenges. The Princess, who has already
fallen in love with him, takes two pearls from her ears
and offers them to the Prince as a promise of mar-
riage.
The Russian Princess
Red Dome
- Day of Mars -
Tuesday

11. The Mauritanian Princess of the fifth sphere tells
Bahram the tale of a young and rich merchant who,
together with his friends, continuously surrenders to
the pleasures of the senses. One night at a banquet,
he overindulges in wine and staggers off to a palm
grove. There he believe he sees one of his friends who
promises him the moon. He follows the friend who
walks swiftly from the garden into an obscure desert
where the merchant finds he is lost. As he wanders
about he comes across several people who say they
will help him, but who in fact lead him further into this
hell. He sees monstrous visions, with old people turn-
ing into devils, camels turning into dragons, and
terrifying mirages in the oases.
The M aur itanian Pr i n cess
Turquoise Dome
- Day of Mercury -
Wednesday

12. The Princess of China of the sixth sphere tells Bahram
the tale of two companions who embark on a journey
across the desert - Kheyr (Good) and de Sharr (Evil).
Without thinking about the length of the journey
Kheyr quickly uses up his water. Sharr, insensitive to
the sufferings of his thirsty companion, drinks his
own water without offering to share it with his com-
panion. At first Kheyr is ashamed to ask for water, but
as time progresses and he is on the point of dying he
begs Sharr for water and promises him two rubies in
exchange. Sharr is suspicious and thinks that once
back in town Kheyr could accuse him of theft and take
back the rubies, so he asks for two even more precious
gems that Kheyr can never take back - his eyes. In
agony, Kheyr accepts the deal. Sharr gouges out his
eyes, steals the rubies and runs off without giving a
drop of water to Kheyr whom he leaves on the point of
death. However, a young girl of exquisite beauty hears
his groans and administers a magical plant which
restores his eye-sight. Kheyr is dazzled by this angel
of the desert, falls in love with her and they are mar-
ried.
The Pr incess of C h ina
Sandalwood Dome
- Day of Jupiter -
Thursday

13. The Persian Princess of the seventh sphere tells Bahram
a grotesque and saucy tale of a master who, hidden
behind a screen of his pavilion, watches playful virgins
of perfect beauty romping about naked in his secret
garden. It is agreed that the one that he falls for is
brought to him by her companions so that he may
enjoy her, but each time something unexpected
happens to thwart his desires. Finally the master
understands that he will only enjoy his lover once he
has married her according to divine law, and he
repents.
The Persian Princess
White Dome
- Day of Venus -
Friday

14. The Paris-based theatrical dance company, created in 1996 by
Shahrokh Meshkin Ghalam, has an international flavour and has per-
formed all over the world.
Past performances include:
UNESCO’s Day of the Afghani Women (Paris), the Sufi dance per-
formance Earth Celebration (New York), the Kusdish Dance Exhibition
(Rome Festival), and the Bacantes of Eusebio Lazaro (Spanish Festival).
Nezami’s Haft Paykar is one of the company’s most recent produc-
tions.
NAKISSA DANCE COMPANY
Shahrok Meshkin Ghalam as Bahram Gur
After gaining degrees in Theatre and Art History at the University of Paris,
Sharokh Meshkin Ghalam trained in Middle Eastern folkdance in Tehran
and Paris. He later studied Flamenco in Spain and traditional Indian and
Javanese dance before returning to France to continue training in contem-
porary dance. Now based in Paris, Meshkin Ghalam has performed across
Europe and the United States. He completed his choreography of the
'Haft Paykar' in November 2001.
Rukmini Chaterjee as Saturday, Day of Saturn
Born in Dheli in 1970, she studied bharathanatyam for eight years
under the famous master Mrinalina. She has been based in Paris for the
last 12 years but regularly dances in India with the ‘Time of India’
group. Her European appearances have included the Biennale de Lyon,
Festival de Chateauvallon, Festival d’Arle’s and the Venice Biennale. Currently
appearing in Oslo, she has made special arrangements to dance in London
with the Nakissa Company.
Viviana Verdugo as Sunday, Day of the Sun
A graduate of classical and contemporary dance in her native Chile, joined
the Nakissa Dance Company in 2000 to study under Jacques Lecocq,
Ariane Mnouchkine, Karine Saporta and Claude Brumachon. In 2000 she
won First Prize in the Festival of African-inspired Dance at the Epee de
Bois.
CAST

15. Christina Galstian as Monday, Day of the Moon
Studied at the National Academy of Dance of Armenia and worked with
the National Ballet of Armenia, where she participated as dancer and cho-
reographer. She has founded a school of Traditional Armenian Dance.
Laure Dauge as Tuesday, Day of Mars
Trained under Wilfride Piollet at the National Superior Academy of Dance
in Paris. She has performed with the Saragosse Ballet, Balleto dell'Esperia
and the European Classical Ballet. She created a solo which was performed
at the Festival of Avignon in 2001, and more recently has presented a
theatrical and dance show at the Ateliers de Menilmontant in Paris.
Rym Charabeh as Wednesday, Day of Mercury
Began oriental dancing at a very young age in her native Syria. Subsequently
she left for Paris where she teaches at the Agora Centre. She has also
appeared in films, television and ballets in France and abroad.
Catherine Schaub-Abkaria as Thursday, Day of Jupiter
Studied Kathakali (southern Indian dance) in France and India and toured
in U.S. with the Bread and Puppet Theatre under Peter Schumann, before
joining the Theatre of the Sun (directed by Ariane Mnouchkine),
where she danced for 7 years. Her performances include L'Indiade, les
Atrides, Peines d'Amour perdue, L'Ultime chant de Troie, and In the Dark and
Mnemonic with the Theatre of Complicity.
Karine Herou Gonzalez as Friday, Day of Venus
After training in classical dance and music at the Academy, she then turned
to her native Flamenco, at the Alcazar of Seville. Since her collaboration
with Shahrokh Meshkin Ghalam a mutual influence has developed
between Flamenco and Persian dance. They have danced together for sev-
eral years notably at the International Festival of Dancing in Chartres and
Rotterdam. She danced the solo in "Vengo del Moro" (1999), Tony
Gatliff's last film.

16. IRAN AND THE WORLD IN THE SAFAVID AGE (Conference)
The conference will bring together more than 50 scholars from around the world to discuss various aspects of the for-
eign relations of the Safavid Empire, to explore Iranian perceptions of other countries and cultures and to see how the
Safavid Empire appeared to the diplomats, merchants and travellers who visited it as well as how it figured in foreign
cultures.
Dates: 4.-7. September 2002 (London)
INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY
(Mystical Yearnings in Iranian Poetry, Music & Art)
The Voice of Unity - Sufi Musical Traditions of Iran (Concert)
Davod Azad and his ensemble will play meditative music traditionally played at mediaeval Sufi ceremonies. This event is
jointly organised by the Iran Heritage Foundation and the Nava Group.
Dates: 1. November (Manchester), 2. November (Cambridge),
4. November (Oxford), 6. November (London)
Listen to the Reed-Flute (Beshno az ney) Poetry, Voice and Ney in the Masnavi
of Rumi (Lecture - Recital)
A lecture by Prof. Alan Williams on selected passages from Jalal al Din Rumi's Masnavi. This lecture will serve as an introduction
to the musical performance of the same passages of the Masnavi by Hossein Omoumi (Ney and Vocal). Omoumi will be
accompanied by two other musicians. This event is jointly organised by the Iran Heritage Foundation and the Nava Group.
Date: 5. November (London)
Logic of the Birds (Vocal & Video Presentation)
Created by acclaimed visual artist Shirin Neshat and composer Sussan Deyhim, collaborating with their long time artistic
partners, filmmaker Ghasem Ebrahimian and writer Shoja Azari. The theme is loosely based on Farid al-Din Attar's
Mantiq al tayr. The production will combine film installation and onstage action, punctuated by a through-com-
posed audio soundtrack with live vocal mix, to re-tell fragments of an ancient epic to a contemporary audience.
Dates: 7.-11. November (London)
The Mystical Dimensions of Persian Poetry (Lecture - Reception)
A lecture by Prof. Annemarie Schimmel, who is considered one the foremost authorities on Persian mysticism and classi-
cal poetry. The lecture will be followed by an elaborate reception.
Date: 15. November (London)
Farid al-Din Attar and the Persian Sufi Tradition (Conference)
An international conference on Farid al-Din Attar and the Persian Sufi Tradition. One of the finest poets of the Persian Sufi
tradition ever produced, Farid al-Din Attar (d. 618/1221) is the author of numerous poetical masterpieces. The present
conference aims not only to celebrate the marvellous beauty of Attar's verse, prose and to make a comprehensive study of his
literary works, but to also investigate his mystical doctrine, by situating his poetry and prose within the wider context of the
Persian Sufi tradition, upon which his writings wielded such a tremendous formative influence. The conference will bring
together scholars from around the world.
Dates: 16.-17. November (London)
Hidden in Love’s Burning (A Concert of Classical Persian Music based on the Song and Verse of Attar)
A concert of mystical Persian music in the classical tradition accompanied with words from Attar's Ghazals. Vocalist Toraj
Kiaras, with an ensemble of four musicians will be performing.
Date: 16. November (London)
Rumi and Hafez (Poetry Reading by Robert Bly)
Robert Bly will recite his own translations of Rumi and Hafiz.
Date: 25. November (London)
The Yalda Celebration
Yalda signifies start of winter and is the longest night of the year. Yalda symbolises the triumph of light over darkness. On that night
family and friends gather together to eat, drink and read poetry to help with the passage of time.
Date: 21. December (London)
Forthcoming Events
Contact info@iranheritage.org for further details