5 stories
Essay
Persian calligraphy: how to read a page
Persian is written right to left in an Arabic-based script, and the most admired hand, nastaliq, looks as if it hangs from a line. A few simple things make a page easier to see. 14 November 2026
Essay
Hafez and the habit of Persian poetry
Poetry in Iran is not only read, it is quoted at tables, consulted in times of choice and learned by heart. Hafez of Shiraz is the best-loved voice. 14 November 2026
Essay
Iranian New Wave cinema before 1979
In the late 1960s and 1970s a group of Iranian filmmakers turned from popular melodrama to cinema about village life, poverty and everyday experience. Their work was often censored and is still admired. 14 November 2026
Feature
Persian carpets: knots, regions and workshops
A knotted carpet is a textile, a map of a place and a record of hands. A few ideas help you read one. 14 November 2026
Essay
Persian miniature painting and the Shahnameh
Small, jewel-like paintings made to illustrate books gave the Persian tradition some of its best-known images, and the Shahnameh gave painters their favourite stories. 14 November 2026