Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and Iranian Lore

Service Description

Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and Pre-Islamic Iranian Lore Dates: October 13 – December 15, 2026 (online course) Time: Tuesdays, 9 am – 10 am Pacific Standard Time (Los Angeles) Persian language skills: basic, intermediate, advanced This course offers an in-depth exploration of the major storylines and characters of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. Students will examine the cultural, historical, and linguistic contexts essential to understanding the poem’s rich narrative texture and its engagement with the pre-Islamic Iranian past. Each session will introduce features of tenth-century Persian grammar, prosody, and style, while also considering the role of Middle Persian (Pahlavi) in the emergence of Early New Persian and its broader social, historical, and political contexts. Students will also have the opportunity to peruse some of the earliest surviving manuscripts of Ferdowsi’s masterpiece, including the celebrated Florence manuscript. Knowledge of Persian is encouraged but not required. English translations of all original passages will be provided on a weekly basis. Over the course of ten sessions, we will explore the foundational stories of the Shahnameh, beginning with the first kings—Keyumars, Hushang, Tahmuras, and Jamshid—before turning to Zahhak and Fereydun, the story of Fereydun’s sons Salm, Tur, and Iraj, Zal and Rudabeh, Rostam’s Seven Trials, Rostam and Sohrab, the tragedy of Siyavash, Kay Khosrow and the revenge of Siyavash, Rostam and Esfandiyar, and finally the transition from heroic to historical time through the Sasanian kings and the fall of the dynasty. * Once learners enroll, Silk Road Academy will coordinate the class schedule, process payments, and manage administrative details. * Silk Road Academy can issue invoices so learners can request reimbursement from their affiliated universities or institutions. * Class days and times may be adjusted in accordance with the request of enrollees. * Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials. Dr. Domenico Ingenito is Associate Professor of Iranian Studies and premodern Persian Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles.