TEHRAN –An adaptation of “Zal and Rudabeh”, one of the love stories of the Shahnameh, Ferdowsi's epic masterpiece, is on stage at Tehran’s Sangelaj Hall. 

Mohammad Haj-Mohammadi is the writer and director of the play entitled "The Manuscript of Zal and Rudabeh". 

Ali Saber, Bahareh Sijani, Helia Vahhab, Reyhaneh Yazdanyar, Mohammad Amiri and Pedram Azizi are the main members for the play. 

"The Manuscript of Zal and Rudabeh" is about Zal and Rudabeh who want to meet each other. Yaqub, the black slave of the king, is assigned to bring these two together. He brings Zal to the courtyard of Rudabeh, and at the moment of meeting, they realize that Rudabeh has disappeared. Now, with Yaqub's plan, the king and his minister dress up and go to the city to find her.

Zal and Rudabeh are two characters from the Persian epic poem Shahnameh, written by Ferdowsi in the 10th century. Their story is a tale of love, bravery, and perseverance.

Zal was a prince of Persia, but he was born with white hair, which made him an outcast in his father's court. His father, King Sam, was ashamed of Zal's appearance and abandoned him on a mountainside. Zal was rescued by the Simorgh, a giant bird, who raised him as her own.

Rudabeh was a princess of Kabul, in modern-day Afghanistan. She caught Zal's eye when he saw her in his dreams, and he was determined to find her. Zal's father allowed him to marry Rudabeh, but only on the condition that he bring back a feather from the Simorgh's tail.

Zal set out on a perilous journey to find the Simorgh. He faced many challenges along the way, but with the help of his father's advisors, he eventually found the bird. The Simorgh gave Zal a feather and advised him to burn it in the presence of Rudabeh. When he did, the smoke created a magical bridge that allowed him to reach her.

Zal and Rudabeh's love was not without its trials. Zal's father disapproved of their union, and he sent an army to capture him. Zal defeated the army with the help of the Simorgh.

Zal and Rudabeh went on to have a son, Rostam, who became one of the greatest heroes in Persian mythology. Their love story has been retold and celebrated in Persian culture for centuries.

Ferdowsi's Shahnameh is an epic poem that tells the mythological and historical stories of Iran from the creation of the world to the Islamic conquest in the 7th century. It is considered to be one of the greatest works of Persian literature and a fundamental text for Iranian identity, culture, and history.

Shahnameh, which translates to "Book of Kings," is divided into three main parts: mythical, legendary, and historical. The mythical section tells the stories of the pre-Islamic cosmology and the creation of the world. The legendary and historical sections cover the history of Iran from legendary kings to the Sassanid Empire, the last pre-Islamic Persian dynasty. 

Ferdowsi's Shahnameh preserves many of the Persian cultural and linguistic traditions, mythologies, and values, and is regarded as a literary masterpiece and a testament to the historical, cultural, and national identity of Iran.

SAB/