Sarah Jabbari: Reclaiming Identity in Iraniyat (being Iranian)

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Sarah Jabbari (Iran) is a visual anthropologist and photographer. She holds a PhD. in the history of photography. Her book “”Early Perso-Parsi Visual Encounter: A Dialogue with India” will be published in 2025. Please visit the Sarah Jabbari VASA exhibition

“The principle of development begins with
the history of Persia; this constitutes, therefore,
the beginning of history” (Hegel, 1857, p. 147).

Iraniyat, meaning “Being Iranian” in Persian, is a project that visually explores the resilience and transformation of Iranian identity throughout history. Through photography, I capture the ways in which cultural heritage, memory, and resistance continue to shape Iran’s identity despite political and religious shifts. My work documents how Iranians maintain and redefine their sense of self through traditions, language, and historical symbols, revealing identity as an ongoing negotiation between past and present.

At the heart of this project is the idea that identity is not a fixed construct but a dynamic process shaped by both external influences and internal acts of preservation. The images I create focus on cultural continuity—how Iranians have kept elements of their ancient past alive despite 1,400 years of Islamic dominance. Persian traditions such as Nowruz (New Year), the Persian calendar, and the Persian language have endured, often blending with Islamic influences rather than being erased by them. My work highlights how Iran not only preserved its identity but also played a defining role in shaping Islamic civilization through art, architecture, literature, and science. Persian scholars like Avicenna and poets like Ferdowsi and Rumi were central to the intellectual and artistic development of the Islamic world, demonstrating how Iranian culture has both survived and contributed to global heritage.

Caption: Adorian Fire Temple and the Zoroastrian priest who recites Avesta, the sacred book of Iran. No new Zoroastrian Temple was allowed to be built after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. However, the temple is open to the public and interested non-Zoroastrians may visit the site. Adorian Fire Temple, Tehran, Iran

Through my lens, I seek to visualize this intersection of history and contemporary identity, capturing moments where cultural heritage is actively lived rather than merely remembered. My photographs document spaces and rituals that embody resistance—festivals that predate Islam, symbols of pre-Islamic history, and individuals who continue to assert their Iranian identity in modern Iran. By focusing on these acts of remembrance and cultural assertion, Iraniyat challenges dominant narratives that seek to define Iran solely through its Islamic identity. Instead, my work reveals a more complex and layered story—one where identity is reclaimed, reshaped, and continuously negotiated.

In my own work, I address the reclaiming of both individual and cultural identity, particularly in the context of contemporary Iran. My photography navigates the interplay between cultural heritage, political hegemony, and acts of resistance. Through visual storytelling, I explore how Iranians actively reclaim their pre-Islamic identity, resisting the pressures imposed by the Islamic government. Unlike Harald Woschitz and Michael Michlmayr, whose works critique the homogenization of identity in consumer culture, my focus is on the lived experience of resistance and the reconstruction of identity through cultural memory.

Caption: Iranians celebrate the fire festival of Charshanbeh Suri by jumping over a fire. Security forces usually interrupt celebrations held by people on the roads to prevent them from having their national yet non-Islamic festival. Tehran, Iran.

Central to my work is the defiance against the imposition of a singular identity. By capturing cultural symbols—such as the Sadeh fire festival, Zoroastrian rituals, and the reliefs of Persian soldiers in Persepolis—I document a collective longing to reconnect with Iran’s pre-Islamic past. These images are more than aesthetic compositions; they embody acts of defiance, where identity is reclaimed and actively reshaped in opposition to hegemonic forces.

This theme of resistance resonates with the ideas of 19th-century Iranian reformists like Mirza Fath Ali Akhundzadeh and Mirza Reza Kermani, who advocated for a return to pre-Islamic values as a foundation for progress. Much like these thinkers, my work critiques the enforced historical amnesia imposed by the Islamic regime. However, I do not see cultural memory as mere nostalgia—it is a tool of transformation, challenging the imposed narratives that seek to erase Iran’s diverse history.

Caption: A group of Iranian men practicing the Pahlevani/Zoorkhaneh rituals, which have roots in ancient religions of Iran, Mithraism and Zoroastrianism. Following the Islamic Revolution 1979, the tradition lostpopularity as the new government discouraged activities tied to pre-Islamic roots. However, this lasted briefly before the Islamic government eventually permitted this ancient ritual. Shir Afkan Zoorkhaneh, Tehran, Iran.

This approach sets my work apart from that of Harald Woschitz and Michel Michlmayr, who focus on how individuals passively accept societal norms. In contrast, my Iranian subjects do not conform to the state’s demands; instead, they resist and redefine identity on their own terms. Here, identity is not a static or passive construct but an ongoing, dynamic process shaped by acts of cultural assertion.

Much like Woschitz’s and Michlmayr’s use of mannequins as symbols of identity construction, I incorporate historical and cultural artifacts as visual metaphors. However, while their mannequins symbolize the loss of individuality in consumer-driven societies, my symbols—ancient relics, festivals, and rituals—evoke a sense of collective resistance and historical reclamation. They serve as reminders of an enduring Iranian identity that continues to defy attempts at erasure.

Through my work, I challenge the cultural hegemony imposed by the Islamic government, which seeks to suppress pre-Islamic Iranian identity. My photographs capture moments of cultural defiance—individuals celebrating banned rituals, preserving ancient symbols, and rejecting imposed narratives. These acts of resistance contrast sharply with the consumer hegemony explored by Woschitz and Michlmayr, who critique how capitalism commodifies and dictates personal identity.

Caption: An Image of Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is being held next to an iconic depiction of the prophet Zarathustra (in Greek Zoroaster) in the Sadeh festival. Iranian people are standing behind bars, not allowed to enter the festival’s area as they are not officially Zoroastrian. Though Sadeh is a national celebration, the government has recently restricted it. Sadeh is celebrating the fire and wishing for the end of the dark, cold winter. Zoroastrian Center, Kerman, Iran.

Despite our differing approaches, all three of us engage with the broader question of how identity is shaped and contested under external forces—whether political, religious, or commercial. My work, however, emphasizes the past as a source of strength and unity, reconnecting with Iran’s pre-Islamic traditions as a means of cultural survival and resistance.

While Woschitz and Michlmayr critique the present and future of identity formation under globalization, I turn my lens toward the past, arguing that cultural memory is not simply about looking back—it is about reshaping the present. By reclaiming Iran’s suppressed heritage, I seek to capture how identity is not only preserved but also actively redefined through resistance.

Caption: Salman (by the self-chosen name of Cyrus) is a local tour leader and an Iran lover who regularly visits Persepolis, the capital of Iran, in 500 B.C. He has grown his beard in the shape of a Persian soldier. Persepolis, Marvdasht, Fars, Iran.

Through my distinct yet complementary exploration alongside Woschitz and Michlmayr, I highlight the dynamic interplay of resistance, conformity, and representation in the construction of identity. Whether my work is rooted in cultural memory or theirs critiques the pressures of consumerism, we each challenge viewers to reflect on the external and internal forces shaping how identity is perceived and lived. By engaging with these themes, I aim to foster a deeper understanding of individuality and societal norms, questioning how identity is constructed, contested, and reshaped over time.

Caption: A young Iranian man respects Cyrus the Great, known as the Father of Iranians, by prostrating on the ground before his tomb during Nowrooz’s Persian New Year celebration. According to Islam, prostration for anyone but Allah is an original sin. Pasargadae, Fars, Iran.

Caption: Iranians gathered to celebrate the first day of spring and the beginning of the Persian new year in Cyrus the Great’s tomb. The ancient Greek historians reported him to be called the “Father” by the Persians. Pasargadae, Fars, Iran.

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Please visit the Sarah Jabbari VASA exhibition

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