Table of Contents

  • FERRIER, JOSEPHE-PIERRE

    Gavin R. G. Hambly

    19th-century French traveler and intrepid explorer in Afghanistan.

  • FERTILITY AND MORTALITY

    Mehdi Amani

    in Persia. Up to 1986 the Persian birthrate was high (as high as 48-49 per 1,000), compared to the world rate but had dropped from 1966, as a result of official policies on family planning.  In 1994 the Persian birthrate equaled the average for Asia and Central America.

    This Article Has Images/Tables.

  • FESANJĀN

    Etrat Elahi

    (fesenjūn, fasūjan), a well known Persian dish (ḵoreš, a kind of stew) made of walnut or almond, poultry (usually duck) or small meat balls (kalla gonješkī) and pomegranate sauce or juice.

  • FESTIVALS

    Multiple Authors

    This article discusses religious or communal festivals and commemorations, ancient and modern, of diverse communities in Persia and Afghanistan.

  • FESTIVALS i. ZOROASTRIAN

    Mary Boyce

    fall into two broad categories. There are the seven feasts of obligation, that is, No Rōz (Nowrūz) and the six gāhānbārs, which formed the framework of the religious year, and which it was a sin not to keep; and others, which it was a merit, not a duty, to observe.

  • FESTIVALS ii. MANICHEAN

    Werner Sundermann

    The Manichean calendar of holidays proves independence from that of the Zoroastrians. Even if the heptavalent number of the Manichean Yimkis was correlated to the Zoroastrian gāhānbār and Nowrūz

  • FESTIVALS iii, iv, v

    Anne H. Betteridge and EIr, Philip G. Kreyenbroek, Keith Hitchins

    iii. SHI'ITE, iv. YAZIDI AND AHL-E HAQQ, v. KURDISH (SUNNI).

  • FESTIVALS vi, vii, viii

    Moojan Momen, Amnon Netzer, A. Arkun

    vi. BAHAI, vii. JEWISH, viii. ARMENIAN.

  • FESTIVALS ix. Assyrian

    WILLIAM PIROYAN and EDEN NABY

    The adoption of Christianity by the Assyrians in the latter part of the 1st century led to the harmonization of older community celebrations and commemorations with Christian doctrine as well as the introduction of specifically Christian religious holidays.

  • FESTIVALS x. IN AFGHANISTAN

    NANCY HATCH DUPREE

    Festive ceremonies in Afghanistan mark special religious days and major events in individual life cycles. Few are formally organized, being celebrated primarily to keep family bonds strong and community ties congenial.