TEHRAN – Renowned Iranian tazieh performer Abbas Javaheri was honored during a ceremony held in the city of Khomeini Shahr, central Isfahan province on Thursday. 

A number of veteran musicians, cultural figures and tazieh experts, including vocalist brothers Ali and Mohammad Saeidi, actor Hassan Aklili, singer Seyyed Reza Tabatabai and tazieh performer Gholam-Ali Ayyubi took part in the ceremony. 

In his opening speech, Aklili lauded Javaheri's captivating artistry, which he flawlessly displays with unparalleled mastery, even at the age of 70.

Moreover, during the ceremony, Javaheri and his troupe mesmerized the audience with a captivating performance of a tazieh, Iranian passion play, recounting the tragic martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) and his brave brother, Hazrat Abbas (AS) in the Battle of Karbala.

Javaheri was born in 1956 in Isfahan. He played the role of Hurr ibn Riahi, one of Yazid’s commanders, who joined the troops of Imam Hussein (AS) on the eve of Ashura, at “The Tenth Night” TV series, directed by Hassan Fat'hi in 2001, which can be considered one of the most enduring works with the theme of Ashura and tazieh.

He has also participated in several national and international theater festivals, earning awards in some of them.

The Iranian passion play tazieh was registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2010.

Tazieh represents religious events, historical and mythical stories and folk tales. Each performance has the four components of poetry, music, song and motion.

However, stories about the uprising of Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions against the oppressive Umayyad dynasty in 680 CE are more highly regarded by tazieh troupes and audiences.

Performers are always male, and female roles are played by men, most of whom are amateurs who gain their living through other means but perform for spiritual rewards.

It is a kind of drama that depicts the event of Ashura and is performed in Mahur, Chargah, and Shur Baghdad radifs of Iranian music.

It is based on the Ashura culture and the brave war and martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS). It is a religious play dated back to 9th-century dynamites and Buyids. However, Tazieh performance began during the Safavid era (1501-1736) and flourished during the Qajar era.

Photo: Abbas Javaheri gives a tazieh performance in his commemoration ceremony in Khomeini Shahr, Isfahan province on August 3, 2023.

ABU/