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SIMORḠ (Persian), Sēnmurw (Pahlavi), Sīna-Mrū (Pāzand), a fabulous, mythical bird. The name derives from Avestan mərəγō saēnō ‘the bird Saēna’, originally a raptor, either eagle or falcon, as can be deduced from the etymologically identical Sanskrit śyená. Saēna is also attested as a personal name which is derived from the…

Simorğ title Simorğ genre/topic Simorğ language   performer Mohammad Gāmšāzehi, doneli (double flute), 16 years old in 1983; and Bahrām Surizehi, tanburak instrument doneli (double flute), tanburak composer   author/poet   first line of poem   recorded by Jean During place of recording   date of recording 1983 duration 4:10…

SINDHI, a language of the Indo-Aryan family. Many of its numerous distinctive features may be attributed to the isolated position in the lower Indus valley of Sindh (< sindhu “Indus”), the spelling now officially preferred to the Persian-style “Sind.” These features include some distinctive historical innovations, like the four voiced...

SINEMĀ WA NEMĀYEŠĀT, the first Persian magazine entirely devoted to cinematography. It was planned as a monthly magazine but closed down altogether after the first two issues (Mordād and Šahrivar 1309 Š./July and August 1930), due to the lack of popular support (Omid, p. 895). The publisher was ʿAli Wakili…

SIRĀFI, ABU SAʿID ḤASAN b. ʿAbd-Allāh b. Marzobān (b. Sirāf on the coast of Fārs in 280/893-94; d. Baghdad 2 Rajab 368/3 February 979), 10th century polymath known best for his work as a grammarian. As his full name indicates, Sirāfi’s family had been Zoroastrians until his father converted to…

ŠIRĀZI, Nur-al-Din Moḥammad ʿAbd-Allāh, Indo-Muslim physician and one of the main Persian authors of works on medical subjects in India in the 17th century. He was born in India, a descendent, most likely the son of ʿAyn-al-Molk Širāzi (d. 1595), a leading physician at the court of Jalāl-al-Din Akbar. His…

SISIGAMBIS, the mother of Darius III and of Stateira (2), perhaps also of Oxyathres (for variants of his name, see ROXANE),  who is described as a brother of Darius III.  The name. The form “Sisigambis” occurs in Quintus Curtius Rufus and must be correct, since it fits into a series…

SISTĀN ii. In the Islamic period It was during the governorship in Khorasan of ʿAbdallāh b. ʿĀmer for the caliph ʿOṯmān that the Arabs first appeared in Sistān, when in 31/652 Zarang surrendered peacefully, although Bost resisted fiercely. From the base of Zarang, raids were launched eastwards into Arachosia/Roḵḵaj and Zamindāvar…

SISTĀNI, MIRZĀ ŠĀH-ḤOSAYN  b. Ḡiāṯ-al-Din Moḥammad Sistāni (میرزا شاه حسین سیستانی, b. Sarābān, 14 Šaʿbān 978/21 January 1571; d. after Šawwāl 1036/ June 1627), Persian historian, poet, and bureaucrat whose works include a local history of Sistān, titled Eḥyāʾ al-moluk, from ancient times to the year 1028/1619, a biographical dictionary…

ŠKAND GUMĀNĪG WIZĀR (Doubt-dispelling exposition), a Middle Persian Zoroastrian text written by Mardānfarrox son of Ohrmazddād in the ninth century. Its author mentions the Dēnkard compiled by Ādurfarrbay ī Farroxzādān as one of its sources, but does not quote the later compilation of the Dēnkard by Ādurbād ī Ēmēdān, and…

SMBAT BAGRATUNI, distinguished Armenian prince and head of the Bagratid house (see BAGRATIDS) at the turn of the 6th to the 7th century (Toumanoff 1963, p. 340, x; idem, 1990, § 14, 12a, p. 111). The main source for his career is the almost contemporary History attributed to bishop Sebēos,…

SMOKING IN IRAN. Cigarettes were first introduced to Iran in the 1860s, most likely by Russian and Turkish soldiers and merchants stationed in the country.  Early adopters of cigarettes were the wealthy, who sought to emulate the affectations of European society, and who had regular interactions with the European expatriate…

SOAP. Soap was manufactured in Persia from antiquity (for some observations on the etymology of the word ṣābun under which soap is known in Arabic and Persian see Dietrich). In the 10th century, in the Islamic period, various Persian towns produced soap, among them Bost, Balkh, Arrajān and Termed, modern Termez…

ṢOBḤI, FAŻL-ALLĀH MOHTADI  (b. Kashan, 1276 Š./1897; d. Tehran, 17 Ābān 1341/8 November 18 1962), Persian school teacher, who is best known as a children’s storyteller, collector of folktales, broadcaster, and Bahai apostate (photographs at Anonymous,  Bolukbāši, and Zia). Ṣobḥi was born in Kashan to a Bahai family.  His paternal…