Dastur Dr Sohrab Hormasji Kutar Memorial Lecture - Dr. Saloumeh Gholami

(Photo: Cousin of Arbab Mehraban Poulad and his family, who lived in India, ca. 1930. Image from the Pouladi Collection)

The Shapoorji Pallonji Institute of Zoroastrian Studies,

Department of Religions and Philosophies

in association with The World Zoroastrian Organisation

Presents the Twenty-second Dastur Dr Sohrab Hormasji Kutar Memorial Lecture

to be given by

Dr Saloumeh Gholami

(University of Frankfurt)

on

“Endangered Zoroastrian heritage of Iran:

New insights from recently discovered manuscripts”

Thursday, 30 May 2019, 6:00 p.m.

Khalili Lecture Theatre

SOAS, Russell Square, London

The lecture is followed by refreshments

All welcome

The talk will include a screening of Forgotten Heritage, a 15-minute documentary

Abstract: Zoroastrian documentary heritage in Iran is at risk due to general neglect, poor storage and damaging environmental conditions. Since 2010 Saloumeh Gholami has been working on locating, preserving, documenting and publishing this fascinating heritage. In her talk, she will focus on three aspects of Zoroastrian endangered heritage in Iran: 1. Zoroastrian Dari language (also known as Gavri), 2. Avestan and other Zoroastrian manuscripts; 3. Historical documents. Dr Gholami reviews her activities of the recent years during which she discovered a wealth of materials in a range of different types of archives and on different subject matters. The aim of this talk is to throw new light on the life, history and culture of Zoroastrians through an examination of recently discovered materials, in particular Avestan manuscripts and historical documents.

Biography: Saloumeh Gholami took her PhD at the University of Goettingen. She is currently a researcher at the Faculty of Linguistics, Cultures and Arts of the University of Frankfurt, Germany. She has conducted extensive research on the preservation of Zoroastrian culture in Iran.