Published by Asemana Books (April 16, 2026)
Histories of Persian Theatre in the Qajar Period
by
ISBN: 978-1-997503-35-4
Iran’s performance traditions were vibrant and deeply rooted long before the Qajar monarchs travelled to Europe. Yet during their journeys, Naser al-Din Shah and Mozaffar al-Din Shah attended opera houses, theatres, concerts, and musical spectacles that became part of a complex cultural encounter whose full scope has remained largely unexplored.
The published royal diaries offer only brief references to these experiences. The broader record, however, lay scattered across European cities and archives.
For the first time, Duman Riyazi meticulously reconstructs and documents the Shahs’ European itineraries step by step, travelling city by city, following their routes, and uncovering forgotten documents that reconstruct what they truly witnessed. Through extensive archival research across Europe, this book brings to light a hidden dimension of Iran’s theatrical modernization, revealing a layered dialogue between traditions rather than a simple process of importing or adopting European models.
The Uninvited Guest is both a historical investigation and a rediscovery.
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