Pardeh Khani: A Dramatic Form of Storytelling in Iran

Pardeh khani (literally, “reading off the screen/curtain”) has been one of the most widely practiced forms of storytelling in Iran and is still occasionally performed. This narration of epic stories painted on a screen is one of the most dramatic forms of story narration and singing in Iran, and its history is traced back before the advent of Islam. Pardeh khani was transformed into a national-religious performance with the advent of Islam and has been influential in the development of ta’zieh (religious drama in commemoration of Imam Hussein’s martyrdom). This study investigates primary elements of the art and performance. Pardeh khani also has direct influence on what is known as “coffeehouse painting.”