Shah ʿAbbas:
The Remaking of Iran

The British Museum in association with the Iran Heritage Foundation

The splendour of Isfahan: coins from Iran
25 March - 5 July 2009
Coins and other objects illustrate the magnificent city of Isfahan through the ages.

Admission Free

Related gallery talks
Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis, Curator, Coins and Medals

• Isfahan is half the world
  Wednesday 25 March, 13.15
• 'Persian is like sugar': the Safavid coins of Iran
  Thursday 9 April, 13.15
• Isfahan, the eternal city of Iran
  Wednesday 13 May, 13.15
• From the Sasanian king of kings to the Safavid Shahs
  Friday 29 May, 13.15
• Coins, kings and the splendour of Isfahan
  Tuesday 9 June, 13.15

Takhti: a modern Iranian hero
To 19 April 2009

Artist Khosrow Hassanzadeh's installation features an image of famous Iranian wrestler Takhti surrounded by objects relating to Iranian history, religion and culture

The Asahi Shimbun Displays

Related gallery talks
Venetia Porter, Curator, Middle East
Admission free

• Tuesday 24 March, 13.15
• Thursday 16 April, 13.15

Safavids revisited: works by Khadim Ali, Sadegh Tirafkan and Muhammad Zeeshan
23 March - 18 October 2009
Contemporary artists reinterpret the themes and painting traditions of Safavid Iran.
Admission free

Related gallery talks
Admission free

• Wednesday 8 April, 13.15
  Venetia Porter, Curator, Middle East & Hammad Nasar, curator, writer and co-founder of the not-for-profit arts organisation Green Cardamom
• Tuesday 12 May, 13.15
  Venetia Porter, Curator, Middle East

The John Addis Gallery of the Islamic world
Visit the John Addis Gallery to find out more about the Museum's Islamic and Iranian collections. There is a free daily eye-Opener tour in Room 34 at 14.00 on the art of the Middle East.
Admission free

Middle East gallery talks
Admission free

• The making of ancient Iran
  Friday 20 March, 13.15
  Nigel Tallis, Curator, Middle East
• The Abbasid ceramic revolution in Iraq and Iran
  Friday 22 May, 13.15
  Seth Priestman, Curator, Middle East
• The reception of ancient Iran in18th-19th-century Europe
  Wednesday 3 June, 13.15
  St John Simpson, Curator, Middle East

Shah ʿAbbas: The Remaking of Iran is open late every Thursday and Friday until 20.30 (last entry 19.20). Combine your visit with a film, lecture or debate, or simply relax in the Great Court with Iranian-inspired food and drink.

Comedy
An evening of comedy with Shappi Khorsandi
Friday 3 April, 18.30
The daughter of an exiled writer and comic from Iran, Anglo-Iranian stand-up comic Shappi Khorsandi reflects on her heritage with warmth and hilarity. Join her for one night only at the British Museum following an outstanding performance at the Amnesty International Secret Policemen's Ball and a sell-out run at the Edinburgh fringe.
£5, Members and concessions £3

Iranian Late
Thursday 30 April, 18.30-21.00
An evening celebrating Iranian history and culture with music, art workshops, storytelling, talks and an Iranian food event
Admission free, booking

Persia in Peckham: talk and food tasting
Thursday 30 April, 18.30-19.30
Sackler Rooms
Sally Butcher, owner of Persian store Persepolis and author of Persia in Peckham (Sunday Times cookbook of the year 2007), gives a talk and food tasting. Sally and her husband Jamshid have been importing and distributing the pick of Persia for sixteen years. Her book is a light-hearted take on Iran, the people and the food. In this talk she discusses how Iran's history and geography have affected its cuisine and the elements and techniques that make up the Persian kitchen.
Admission free, booking advised
65 places

Mitra Tabrizian: Tehran 2006
Thursday 30 April, 19.45-20.30
Sackler Rooms
Iranian-British artist Mitra Tabrizian has published and exhibited widely in major international museums and galleries, including her recent solo show at Tate Britain. She discusses her work with particular reference to her acclaimed project Tehran 2006. Mitra's work on Iran deviates from the usual representations in photography and video. It echoes New Iranian cinema which champions the poetics of every day life, using non-actors and focusing on trivial subjects, treated allegorically to allude to wider social issues.
Admission free, booking advised
65 places

£5, concessions £3

Encounters with the Divine: ShiʿI mysticism in contemporary Iran
Thursday 19 March, 18.30
As many as five million people are associated with forms of 'organised mysticism' (Sufism, tasawwuf or Irfan) in contemporary Iran, but very little is known about these groups, their beliefs andpractices. Rizwan Mawani, Institute of Ismaili Studies, explores the ways in which these types of faith are expressed upon the larger canvas of Persian piety.

Fact versus fantasy in Safavid palaces
Thursday 2 April, 18.30
Robert Hillenbrand, University of Edinburgh, examines the nature of recreational buildings in the Safavid era through the evidence in 16th-17th-century book painting. The lecture explores how the distinctive leisured ambience of Shah ʿAbbas's Safavid court was created through wood and textiles in both temporary and permanent structures.

The Sophy's Englishman: Robert Sherley and his Persian Odyssey
Thursday 23 April, 18.30
Independent scholar Edward Faridany retells the extraordinary tale of Robert Sherley, who arrived at the court of Shah 'Abbas in 1598 at the age of 18. Part loyal servant, part selfpublicist, he stayed eight years, married a Circassian and began a lifetime's service as Shah 'Abbas's roving ambassador.

Shah ʿAbbas the Great: the 1000km walk to Mashhad
Thursday 7 May, 18.30
In 1601, Shah ʿAbbas walked from Isfahan to Mashhad. Caroline Mawer, Birkbeck, has retraced the route using vehicles and walking significant sections to try to discover how long the journey might have taken, giving fascinating insights into medieval travel along the Persian Silk Road, and into the itinerant court of Shah ʿAbbas.

The Persian garden: an image of Paradise
Thursday 21 May, 18.30
By the late 16th century gardens had become centres for enjoyment and relaxation, expressions of a ruler's power and prestige, with little spiritual meaning. Garden historian Penelope Hobhouse uncovers how Shah ʿAbbas and his successors used the grid system to create gardens of great beauty with central pavilions for luxurious entertaining.

Shiism: traditions, myths and rituals
Thursday 11 June, 18.30
In the West, Shiism is often associated with fanaticism and violence. In fact its mystical vision is deeply in tune with such Western values as secularism, justice, and rationalism. Karen Armstrong, British Museum Trustee, looks at the origins and development of Shiism, examines its role in the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1978-79), and explores the role of mythology, tragedy and ritual in the Shi'a tradition.

British Museum/Guardian Public Forum
Tuesday 19 May, 19.00
19.00 Private view of Shah ʿAbbas
20.00 Debate: A high-profile panel will use the exhibition as the starting point for a broader discussion of contemporary issues relating to Iran. Chaired by Jon Snow, writer and broadcaster, with an introductory talk by Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum.
£15, concessions £12

London Review of Books discussion
Thursday 4 June, 18.30
Join a panel of prominent writers, theorists and historians to discuss questions of politics and identity in Iran. Part of a series of discussions in partnership with the London Review of Books investigating the relationships between literature, history, art and politics.
£5, concessions £3

£3, concessions £2
Crimson Gold
Friday 1 May, 18.30
A hold up on a Tehran jewellery store ends in tragedy and the film relates the events that drove an ordinary decent man to crime. Iran, 2003, 93 minutes, Certificate 12
Director: Jafar Panahi
In Persian with English subtitles

At Five in the Afternoon
Friday 8 May, 18.30
A young woman at a secular school for girls is inspired by the idea of becoming Afghanistan's first woman President but the harsh realities of survival intervene.
Iran/France, 2003, 102 minutes, Certificate PG
Director: Samira Makhmalbaf

Persepolis
Friday 15 May, 18.30 SL
Born in Iran in 1969, Marjane Satrapi grew up as her country made the transition from Shah to Islamic state. Based on her graphic novel, this animation tells of her coming-of-age in Iran, Vienna and Paris. With guest speaker Rose Issa.
France/USA, 2008, 96 minutes, Certificate 12A
Directors: Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
English language version

Grass: a nation's battle for life
Friday 22 May, 18.30
A monumental Hollywood documentary about the Bakhtiari people of western Persia (Iran).
Silent with musical score. With guest speaker Christopher de Bellaigue.
USA, 1925, 70 minutes
Directors: Merien C Cooper & Ernest B Schoedsach

Divorce Iranian Style
Friday 29 May, 18.30
The documentary unfolds inside an Iranian divorce court, providing a subtle and intimate look at the lives of Iranian women and the restrictions of their society.
UK, 1998, 80 minutes
Directors: Kim Longinotto & Ziba Mir-Hosseini

The Colour of Paradise
Friday 5 June, 18.30
Blind eight-year-old Mohammed is an object of shame to his father who wants to clear the way for marriage to a woman who knows nothing of his son. This film explores the characters' relationships to God and to nature.
Iran, 1999, 90 minutes
Director: Majid Majidi

Moving Images: The National Cinemas of Iran, Egypt and Turkey
11 Thursdays from 30 April, 18.30-20.30
Tutor Margaret O'Brien explores what contemporary and historical films tell us about national identities and the different countries' film-making traditions.
Book through Birkbeck on +44 (0)20 7631 6651 or www.bbk.ac.uk
For more information contact +44 (0)20 7631 6652/6621 or j.lugo@bbk.ac.uk

Introduction to Shah ʿAbbas
Exhibition curators provide an illustrated
45-minute talk on this major exhibition.
Admission free, booking advised
Saturday 21 February, 11.00
Monday 9 March, 13.15
Thursday 23 April, 13.15
Saturday 23 May, 13.15

Sheila Canby, Exhibition Curator
Friday 1 May, 13.15
Saturday 9 May, 13.15
Fahmida Suleman, Assistant Exhibition Curator

British Museum documentary: Shah ʿAbbas
Features interviews with the curator and filming on location in Iran. Narrated by the Museum's Director, Neil MacGregor.
Approximately 60 minutes
Admission free, booking advised
Friday 27 February, 13.15
Monday 23 March, 13.15
Friday 3 April, 13.15
Saturday 18 April, 13.15
Saturday 2 May, 13.15
Friday 22 May, 13.15
Friday 5 June, 13.15

Iranian craft demonstrations
During April, skilled craftspeople from Iran demonstrate a variety of their highly accomplished craft art forms. For more information, visit www.britishmuseum.org

Norouz family weekend
Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 March, 11.00-16.30
A weekend of free family activities inspired by Norouz, the Persian New Year. Join in a celebration of spring, make Persian symbols of life, and listen to traditional stories and music.
Sponsored by Magic of Persia
Admission free

Holiday activities for families:
Shah ʿAbbas and his world
6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17 April, 11.00-16.00
Help build the magnificent city of Isfahan in the Great Court and decorate an enormous Persian carpet. Listen to Iranian music and stories of the amazing Shah ʿAbbas.
For information on craft demonstrations during April visit www.britishmuseum.org
Admission free, just drop in

Half-term activities for families: Middle Eastern mix
26, 27, 28, 29 May, 11.00-16.00
Design, decorate and create with inspiration from the modern Middle East.
Admission free

British Museum Ticket Desk in person or
Tel: +44 (0)20 7323 8181
Email: tickets@britishmuseum.org