Muharram Rituals in Pictures

A photo collection on historical pictures of rituals in the mourning month of Muharram is underway in Tehran following a joint initiative by Laleh Gallery and the City Photo Museum.  Tehran Municipality’s Art and Cultural Organization says the ‘Mourners’ will show 55 images simultaneously in the two venues. The month of Muharram is the period of national mourning and commemoration marking the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the Third Imam of Shiites and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Imam and his 72 family members and companions were martyred by the army of Yazid, the Umayyad caliph, in the historic Battle of Karbala (in Iraq) in 680 AD. Muharram mourning ceremonies have long been intertwined with Iranian culture and are often also manifested through the arts.  The featured images move the viewers back in history, experiencing old Persia’s religious mourning ceremonies. Most pictures date back to the Qajar Dynasty (1789–1925) when the first photo cameras made their way into Iran and art lovers started recording events. The City Photo Museum is located at Bahar Shiraz Avenue, in Haft-e Tir Sq., and Laleh Art Gallery is on Fatemi ave., next to Laleh Hotel in Tehran.  The opening ceremony was held simultaneously at both venues, on September 25. The exhibition will be open through November 11.