TEHRAN - Iran's ritual dramatic art of Ta’zieh continues to thrive across the country, with central Isfahan province widely regarded as the nation's leading center for the centuries-old tradition, according to Iranian researcher and Ta’zieh scholar Esmaeil Mojallali.

Speaking to IRNA on Thursday, Mojallali described Ta’zieh as a uniquely Iranian performing art whose literary, musical and theatrical elements are deeply rooted in the country's indigenous culture.

He explained that Ta’zieh combines Persian poetry, traditional Iranian music and dramatic performance, and is traditionally staged in venues known as tekyehs, where performers reenact religious narratives, most notably the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam, and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

According to the researcher, while mourning ceremonies with dramatic elements can be traced back to the Safavid dynasty, the art form evolved into its recognizable and organized structure during the Qajar dynasty in the 19th century.

Mojallali said royal patronage during the Qajar era played a decisive role in the flourishing of both literature and music associated with Ta’zieh. He noted that under Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, literary circles encouraged leading poets to compose works centered on religious themes, including the events of Ashura, while traditional music gained renewed recognition.

He added that during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the codification of Iran's classical musical system by Mirza Abdollah Farahani, together with the emergence of pioneering playwrights such as Mirza Fath-Ali Akhundzadeh, helped shape Iran's theatrical traditions.

Highlighting Isfahan's historical importance, Mojallali said the province has remained one of the country's foremost centers of Ta’zieh since the 19th century and today hosts the largest number of performances nationwide.

He attributed the province's prominence to generations of distinguished poets, musicians, performers and scriptwriters who contributed to the development of the art. Among them, he cited poets such as Sabahi Bigdeli and Shahab Isfahani, as well as renowned ney player Nayeb Asadollah Isfahani.

Mojallali also referred to prominent Ta’zieh writers and directors associated with Isfahan, including Mirza Baqer Moein al-Boka, saying their contributions created an enduring link between the province and the evolution of the ritual drama.

Historical records, he added, show that Zell-e Soltan, a Qajar prince who was the son of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, encouraged the expansion of Ta’zieh in Isfahan by inviting accomplished poets and vocalists from across the province, laying the foundations for its emergence as Iran's principal Ta’zieh hub.

Today, Mojallali said, Ta’zieh remains an integral part of Muharram mourning ceremonies throughout Isfahan province. Its geographical diversity and varied ethnic communities have also produced a rich tradition of scriptwriting, resulting in numerous locally distinctive versions of Ta’zieh texts.

He identified the province as one of Iran's leading centers for contemporary Ta’zieh scriptwriting, noting that many valuable manuscripts by Isfahan-based poets have survived, some of which differ significantly from versions found elsewhere in the country.

Mojallali also highlighted the role of local masters in preserving authentic performance traditions, particularly through training younger generations, and said Isfahan has long been recognized for producing specialized Ta’zieh equipment such as armor and helmets, reflecting the close relationship between craftsmanship and the performing arts.

Among the province's notable Ta’zieh centers, Mojallali singled out Khansar, saying the town has become a major destination for religious tourism during the month of Muharram thanks to its well-established performance traditions and historic tekyeh. He noted that many tekyehs built elsewhere in Iran have drawn inspiration from the architectural and performance model of Khansar's venue.

At the same time, he cautioned against allowing elaborate horseback performances to overshadow the spiritual and artistic essence of Ta’zieh, stressing that visual spectacle should not come at the expense of the ritual's philosophical and religious message.

Ta’zieh, also known as Shabih-khani, is a traditional Shia ritual drama that primarily depicts the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) at Karbala and other religious narratives. In 2010, UNESCO inscribed Ta’zieh on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, recognizing its significance as a performing art that combines poetry, music, song and movement while helping preserve traditional craftsmanship, oral transmission, cultural identity and social cohesion.

AM