Shahnameh Centre for Persian Studies
On Saturday, May 24th, Global philanthropist Bita Daryabari and speakers from around the globe gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Shahnama Centre for Persian Studies at Pembroke College in Cambridge, England. (Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.)
The $2 million (US) endowment by Daryabari ensured the creation of the Centre, which aims to encourage research on Persian literature, history and art.
The Centre grew out of the Cambridge Shahnama Project founded in 1999 by Professor Charles Melville and originally funded by the British Academy.
It has already accumulated an extensive library with the publications dedicated to Persian literary and visual culture, particularly related to the study of the Shahnama texts and their illustrated manuscripts, which are now kept in the museums and libraries all over the world.
The new Centre’s director is Dr. Firuza Abdullaeva who joined the project in 2001 being a Professor of Persian at St. Petersburg University.
The Shahnama Centre for Persian Studies has grown out of the Cambridge Shahnama Project (currently 1 Fitzwilliam Street, Cambridge CB2 1QH), and represents the fulfilment of one of the original aims of that project, to promote Persian studies in Cambridge and the UK more generally.
While work on the Shahnama Project and completion of the database will continue to be the main focus of the Centre’s activity, a number of new initiatives are planned that broaden the scope of its research, emphasising the continuing importance of the Shahnama and its world today, and promoting Persian studies more widely through a programme of conferences, lectures and outreach events.
The Centre is acquiring an excellent library of books and other publications, both printed and digital, on Persian and Islamic art as well as works devoted specifically to the Shahnama, currently being catalogued with the help of Ms Peyvand Firouzeh and soon to be put online, and welcomes visiting scholars to come and make use of these and other resources available.
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