Rasmus Rask (1787–1832) in Iran

Authors

• Daniel Potts New York University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23993/store.156235

Keywords:

Rasmus Rask, Iran, Persepolis, Fath ‘Ali Shah, Qajars

Abstract

Rasmus Rask visited Iran en route to India in 1820. His letters, which are largely unknown to Iranologists, contain often vivid descriptions of his time there. While not as enchanted by the country as some of his contemporaries, Rask’s letters nevertheless present us with a forthright, unvarnished view of the country during the reign of Fath ‘Ali Shah. His progress from Tabriz to Bushehr via Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Persepolis, involved several memorable incidents as well as an encounter with a hitherto unrecognized, amateur excavator at Persepolis.