Ferdowsi School of Persian Literature

Classical Persian through Living Books: Introduction to Persian Manuscripts

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August 11th - August 21st
2025

Instructor: Ruben S. Nikoghosyan
Languages: English, Persian
Duration: 2 weeks, 8 days (16 hours)
Frequency: 4 classes per week (Monday-Thursday)
Duration of each Class: 2 hours (6 pm Yerevan Time)
Participation Fee: 260 USD
Deadline for Applications: August 1st
Location: Online (Zoom)
Level of Persian: Intermediate, Advanced

Manuscripts:

  • Kitāb al-abniya ‘an haqāiq al-adwiyya. 1056 AD
  • Florence Shahnameh, 1217 AD, Florence
    Naṣr-Allāh Munšī, Kalīlah va-Dimnah (Persian MS 68), 1219 AD, Manchester
  • Prince Baysunghur’s Rose Garden (Gulistan) by Sa`di (Per 119), 1427 AD
  • Dawlatshāh Samarqandī (d. ca. 1494). Taẕkirat ul-Shuʻarā (Persian MS 54). Date 1749.
  • Various other manuscripts

Registration: To apply, please click the “Apply” button above. Complete all required fields and submit. Accepted applicants will receive further instructions on participation.

Note: All materials will be provided by the instructor

 

"Rustam Pleads for Tus Before Kai Khusrau," Folio from a Shahnama. 1341 AD (Metropolitan Museum)

Duirng this intensive online course on Persian paleographical traditions, we will examine a variety of manuscripts to understand the origins of the Persian written tradition. Through detailed readings and analysis of different styles, we will trace the development of Persian calligraphy and orthographical practices. We will also pay close attention to the evolution of the orthographical tradition of Persian in Arabic script. This complex approach will guide participants in developing a deeper appreciation of Persian manuscript culture, enabling them to engage critically with both early and later examples of Persian writing.

Course Overview

This intensive two-week online course delves into the manuscript traditions of Persianate societies, equipping participants with the skills to read and interpret Classical Persian handwritten materials independently.

Spanning Monday to Thursday, each two-hour session explores the rich heritage of Persian manuscripts across diverse chronological and geographical contexts.

Participants will examine a range of scripts and styles, focusing on naskh and nasta‘liq, while tracing the evolution of Persian orthographical and grammatical conventions. The course introduces historical manuscripts from early Persian documents of the early 10th century to iconic works like the Baysunghurī Gulistān (15th c.) and the Shāhnāma-yi Tahmāspī (16th c.).

Through hands-on engagement with manuscripts, participants will gain insights into the interplay between Persianate literary traditions and manuscript art, as well as the distinctive features of Classical Persian orthography and phonetics. By the end of the course, participants will be ready to approach Persian manuscripts with confidence, and deal with them independently.

Selected Manuscripts for Study

By taking the course, the participants will gain:

  • Ability to read and interpret Classical Persian manuscripts.
  • Familiarity with key scripts, including Nasq and Nasta‘liq.
  • Knowledge of Persian orthographical traditions and their evolution.
  • Insights into historical manuscripts from diverse regions and periods.
  • Understanding of the relationship between Persianate literature and manuscript art.
  • Skills to work independently with Persian manuscripts.

Course Structure

The course consists of 8 classes of intensive study, with two-hour sessions held from Monday to Thursday during the two weeks. Below is a breakdown of the main activities during each class:

  • Discussion of questions: Reviewing and reflecting on homework manuscripts (20 minutes)
  • Reading and analysis: Close reading of selected manuscripts with paleographical and philoloical commentary (40 minutes)
  • Break: Short pause to refresh (10 minutes)
  • Reading and analysis (40 minutes)
  • Q&A and wrap-up: Open discussion and addressing participants’ questions (10 minutes)

Students are encouraged to actively participate and share their perspectives, creating a collaborative learning environment.

Methodology

This intensive introductory course on Persian manuscripts employs a holistic approach to familiarize students with the origins and development of the Persian palaeographical tradition. Beginning with the earliest surviving monuments of New Persian from the 10th century, the course explores the foundational stages of Persian calligraphical traditions.

Starting from the very first day, the participants will examine the earliest manuscripts and trace the evolution of Persian written traditions through later periods.

Throughout the course, participants will analyze various scripts, writing styles, and orthographical conventions used in Persian manuscripts. By engaging with manuscripts from different genres, students will explore the diverse paleographical practices that shaped Persian texts over time.

By the end of the course, this comprehensive approach aims to provide students with a solid foundation in understanding and interpreting Persian manuscripts, equipping them with essential knowledge to delve deeper into the field.

Testimonials

I participated in the 'Classical Persian Through Living Books' course, which took place over 2 weeks, in order to start learning the paleographic skills required to read Persian manuscripts. We covered both the naskh styles of medieval manuscripts and the nast'aliq style often found in early modern texts. The two-hour lessons, with a short break in between the hours, were very manageable and allowed me to stay focused and really engage with the calligraphy of the manuscripts. I feel that my eye is now beginning to get used to both old naskh and nast'aliq, and I feel confident enough to look at the texts independently, whereas before I was too daunted to even try. Reading the Shahnama, Kalila wa Dimna and other works with Ruben is always enjoyable, and I found it improved my general reading alongside my paleographic skills.
Martin Dixon
DPhil Student, Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Oxford, UK
I have taken both Shahnameh and Classical Persian Prose reading courses with Ruben, and all I can say is that he is the best language teacher I have had the pleasure of learning with. He has an extraordinary ability of introducing a wide range of topics like philology, history, and geography into his language teaching, and his encylopaedic knowledge of the Iranian world (and its languages) creates a learning experience that I can confidently say is unique to him and his school.
Rohan Kaya
Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford
Thanks to his vast and deep familiarity with several religious, historical and literary texts written in Middle and Classical Persian, Ruben’s well-structured courses have always been intellectually stimulating and inspiring. In addition to his knowledge of secondary literature in Russian, French, German, Armenian, Persian and English, Ruben often draws on riches of the Persian literary canon to explain linguistic features. As an experienced language teacher and researcher in Iranian studies, his teaching style is an amalgam of historical linguistics and detailed philological analysis. Thanks to his helpfulness, modesty, flexibility and characteristic humor, his lessons are always engaging and entertaining. Over the years, we’ve worked together on several texts, and his intellectual impact on my own research has been truly transformative.
Kristof Szitar
PhD candidate, Université de Lausanne
If you are struggling with reading Classical Persian or Persian paleography, Ferdowsi School is the go-to place! Ruben is very knowledgeable, patient, and encouraging. While the texts were daunting initially, Ruben always encouraged us to think by connecting what we had learned from the previous sessions, so we both refreshed our memories and also applied what I have learned to the new text. In the “Classical Persian through Historical Texts” class, we worked on major Persian historiographical texts by not only translating but also discussing historical background and scholarly discussions on the texts. Ruben also discussed with us the grammatical, phonetical, and etymological aspects of the texts and the conventional use of certain words and expressions particularly in Classical Persian which differs from modern Persian. In “Classical Persian through Living Books,” we worked on deciphering handwritten Classical Persian texts in Naskh and Nastaliq scripts. By the end of the class, I felt much more confident in dealing with the sources I use for my dissertation research.
Di Wang
PhD Student, Department of History, The Ohio State University

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CONTACT
Ruben S. Nikoghosyan (Yerevan, Armenia)

Email: nikoghosyanruben@gmail.com