Sadegh Hedayat (1903-1951) was one of Iran’s most prolific post-modernist writers in the first half of the 20th century. He has often been called the “Iranian Kafka,” since many of his stories discuss surrealist themes, dealing with existential angst and nightmarish situations. This blog discusses Hedayat’s most famous works, such as his opus magnum, the Blind Owl, published in 1937. Other novels mentioned in the blog are famous in Iranian pop culture (such as Dash Akol which was made into a movie in the 1970s), while nonfiction works are related to his research on Iranian folklore and mythology. The title of the blog “Hedayat’s Animals” refers to the numerous animal characters found in his stories from his lifelong love of animals.
This is the fourth and final installment in the Etched in Stone blog series. In it, we delve into the remarkable discoveries that followed the decoding of cuneiform script. Topics include the invention of timekeeping and the 24-hour day, advancements in sailing, labor organization, written correspondence, women’s rights, religious beliefs and parables, ancient cuisine, early customer complaints, and much more.
Aldini’s Italian manual on fire safety was published in 1833. It offered detailed instructions, diagrams, and practical strategies for surviving and preventing fires. Yet two years before its publication, an Armenian version of the same manual was printed by the Mekhitarists, an Armenian Catholic monastic order, in Venice.
On May 8, experience the vibrant intercultural tapestry of Jewish and Islamic musical traditions from Spain and North Africa. From the eighth century onward, Southern Spain—known as al-Andalus—became a vibrant crossroads of faith and culture. Jews, Muslims, and Christians cultivated rich traditions in the arts, sciences, and music under the rule of Muslim caliphs.
The cuneiform script from Ancient Mesopotamia, arguably the oldest script in human civilization. This blog discusses the various attempts to understand cuneiform and the processes which led to the ultimate decipherment of the seemingly impervious script entailed.
The blog “Afghanistan Reflected in the Collections at the Library of Congress” captures the full range of collections, print, digital and rare books produced in the local and international languages in and about Afghanistan and currently available for research at the Library of Congress.
Using AMED’s unparalleled research resources on African, Jewish and Middle Eastern studies, this post showcases a reading room display that offers a taste of diversity reflected in the religions and cultures of Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.
Using the Library of Congress’ Cuneiform Tablet Collection, this blog examines the history of the cuneiform script, its spreading, and adoption by various civilizations.
