Testimonial by Easa Saad

University of Oxford, UK

2 weeks 2023 Learn Persian Through the Shahname

I thoroughly enjoyed and benefited from my experience on Aspirantum’s “Persian through the Shahname”. The course was well organized, with relevant readings being sent out before the class alongside supplementary materials to support our study. Our instructor, Ruben, was an excellent teacher with obvious mastery of the Shahname. In addition to providing us with detailed etymology of keywords, and helping us unlock the nuances of Ferdowsi’s masterful use of the Persian language, he also brought the stories to life through the use of maps, art, and musical performances.

Thus, we not only improved our knowledge of the Persian language but gained a better appreciation of the history (both mythical and real) of greater Iran and the ways in which that history still lives on today through the Shahname. I would thoroughly recommend this course to all students of Persian, even those who are not specifically interested in the Shahname since this text is so important for understanding the history of the Persianate world.

Interested? Check Upcoming Persian Language Courses!


Our Persian language courses are open to anyone with upper elementary or intermediate knowledge of the Persian language. The lectures are organized with the academic interests of our participants in mind. Students as well as researchers working in Iranian Studies and relevant fields will benefit the most from our courses.

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Other Testimonials.

Eva Kuras

PhD student, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

“The “Learn Persian through the Shahname” course was an invaluable experience. The instructor used his deep knowledge of the Persian language, the Shahname itself, and a little linguistics to help us navigate important passages of the text.”

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Rachel Goshgarian

Associate Professor, Lafayette College, USA

“I was able to improve my Persian significantly while studying one of the most significant texts of medieval Iran and had fun being a part of the positive online learning community.”

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Sandra Williams

PhD student, History of Art Department, University of Michigan, USA

“I would consider taking this course again to practice reading more of the manuscript. I highly recommend the “Learn Persian Through the Shahnameh” course to anyone interested in medieval Persian literature or learning about the evolution of the language.”

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