PDA

View Full Version : Richard N. Frye, Iranologist



EliasAlucard
2009-11-06, 09:30
Richard Nelson Frye is a notable Iranologist of Swedish-American descent, whose will is to be buried in Iran when he dies.

American Iranologist Wills wants to be Buried in Isfahan, Iran: http://www.payvand.com/news/05/apr/1127.html
Ahmadinejad allows burial of American professor in Iran: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/13/africa/ME-GEN-Iran-American-Scholar.php

He's also married with an Assyrian woman (from Iran).

http://www.iran-heritage.org/interestgroups/frye-speech.htm
http://www.parstimes.com/events/frye_gallery.html

He's also critical of the modern Persian architecture of Iran:

Richard Nelson Frye, a well-known scholar in central Asian studies and founder of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, launched the conference with a candid rebuke of the architectural development of Tehran. He said its leaders turned their backs on Tehran and looked toward the West—Paris, London and New York—for inspiration. "I think they abandoned Tehran," he said.
"Innovation, yes. But not slavish copying. Forgetting your heritage, forgetting your background is not recommended, to put it mildly," said Frye. Modern buildings in Tehran should maintain a Persian style and sensibility and "not be a copy of the bad architecture that sweeps the world in globalization," he advised.
"I think it's essential that the heritage of a people be preserved. If Wal-Mart came to Isfahan, what would happen to the bazaar?" Frye asked. He urged Iranians to work hard to preserve their identity.Source: http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0408/iran.html

As expected, he's quite popular amongst the Iranian community for his work in the field of Iranology. Has anyone here read Frye (I've only read what he's written on Assyrians) and can recommend some of his studies, books and articles? What's his stance on the history of Iran, Persian empires and their relation to Europe?

EliasAlucard
2010-03-15, 08:42
Frye interviewed in Persian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzT-s5brZMk

What's he saying?

Humanist
2010-03-15, 20:45
Frye interviewed in Persian:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzT-s5brZMk

What's he saying?

More or less what he is saying here: Richard Frye - CNN Interview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBEzGAjaiqM)

My maternal grandfather grew up in Isfahan. It is a beautiful place. Would love to visit one day.

Edit: His wife is from Urmia. Born in 1942. Never heard of her before. Always delighted to discover Assyrian intellectuals.

Humata
2010-03-15, 21:13
I believe (at the start) he's saying his purpose/intention is to open up Iran and it's culture to America and beyond.

The Iranian commentator then goes on to say Frye is a university intellectual from Harvard whose written over twenty books, and lives in Esfahan.

He says he's dedicated his life to Iran and then mentions several politically-oriented points, such as the misconception Americans have of Iran being a "terrorist state" when Christians, Zoroastrians and other minorities live there.

He also mentions that Americans don't understand that Islam is a separate entity from Arab culture, and Islam in Iran is not a transposition of Arab culture.

Finally, he states that many of these supposed "Islamic" innovations were in fact Iranian in origin, as they came from regions that were formerly under Persian rule (he cites Dubai and the Sassanid dynasty here).

Humanist
2010-03-15, 21:34
My mother is not used to hearing Americans speaking Farsi. She was quite amused by the clip.

And good for Dr. Frye. I am glad they have granted his request.

Humata
2010-03-15, 21:39
My mother is not used to hearing Americans speaking Farsi. She was quite amused by the clip.

And good for Dr. Frye. I am glad they have granted his request.

Professor Frye's Persian is slightly archaic-sounding at the start, but speaks with more ease and coherence afterwards in that interview.

Saying that, he speaks Persian a lot more clearly than Lil Wayne does with English (http://www.rapbasement.com/music-videos/lil-wayne-ft-eminem-drop-the-world.html).

Humanist
2010-03-15, 21:43
Professor Frye's Persian is slightly archaic-sounding at the start, but speaks with more ease and coherence afterwards in that interview.


Yes, my mother stated the same. I would love to become fluent in Farsi. :)

Metaontologist
2010-08-22, 22:06
I would like to visit Iran, especially Shiraz and Isfahan. I would like to go to all the places where the Zoroastrians still exist in significant numbers, too.

EliasAlucard
2010-12-27, 04:17
Very interesting intellectual article by Frye:

EliasAlucard
2012-10-07, 00:27
Very interesting intellectual article by Frye:I just read this article, it's well written, and Frye is a learned man. He does not mention *h4eryós but he discusses the Iranian identity throughout the ages. His examples of Assyria were most enlightening too.

Anyone else who has read it? What do you think?