Iranian vice president attends presentation of Armenian translation of Ferdowsi’s “Shahnameh”

A ceremony marking the presentation of the complete Armenian prose translation of the epic poem “Shahnameh” by renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi was held at Yerevan’s Blue Mosque, with Iranian Vice President Seyyed Hamid Pourmohammadi, Iran’s Ambassador to Armenia Khalil Shirgholami, a group of Iranian officials, university professors, Iranologists, and Armenian cultural and artistic figures in attendance.

The book, translated by Gevorg Asatryan under the academic editing and supervision of Professor Garnik Asatryan, is the result of several years of research, the Iranian Embassy in Armenia said in a press release.

For the first time, it presents all the stories of the “Shahnameh” to Armenian readers in the form of literary prose.

During the ceremony, Pourmohammadi spoke about the important place of the “Shahnameh” in Iran’s cultural and literary heritage, highlighting values reflected in Ferdowsi’s work, including reason, justice, heroic morality, and the struggle against violence and injustice.

He also proposed establishing a “Shahnameh House” in Armenia, with the participation of Iranologists, researchers and artists from both countries, and expressed readiness to support the cultural initiative.

During the event, the book’s translator, Gevorg Asatryan, as well as a number of Iranologists, translators, Persian language teachers, and students who have excelled in learning Persian, were honored.

An exhibition of paintings by Armenian artist Mariam Galstyan, inspired by stories and characters from the “Shahnameh,” was also held as part of the event.

The event took place as part of the Iranian vice president’s visit to Yerevan to attend the 19th session of the Armenia-Iran Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation.