The Cambridge Shahnama Centre for Persian Studies

The endowment will go towards work on enhancing and developing the Shahnama Project website (http://shahnama.caret.cam.ac.uk); staffing the Shahnama Centre; supporting travel for research and attending conferences; organizing workshops and events; maintaining and making accessible a reference library of scholarship on Persian literary and artistic culture, and preparing publications.

Prof. Melville adds, “In addition, Bita Daryabari’s gift ensures that Pembroke College, in many respects the home of Persian studies in the UK, will be able to foster teaching and research in Persian on a permanent basis; I can be confident that the legacy of E.G. Browne, A.J. Arberry and many others will continue to bear fruit from the vigorous promotion of Persian studies that this allows. Lastly, I hope that it will send a message to everyone concerned about Iran and the vitality and creativity of Iranian civilization across the millennia, that Cambridge means business and that our efforts of many lifetimes command the recognition and support that are essential for the welfare of this drastically under-resourced subject."

Daryabari says, "Shahnameh is a holy book for all Persians because it was written in pure Persian during a time when the language was being influenced by Arabic. This literary masterpiece reflects Iran's history, cultural values, its ancient religions, and its profound sense of nationhood. As a child growing up in Iran who read and heard about the heroes and heroines of Shahnameh, I feel it is my duty to ensure that future generations have the chance to hear these poems and stories that teach our children to take pride in their heritage and ancestry. Professor Melville has been the guardian of the Shahnameh and Persian literature in recent decades, and I want to thank him for keeping our poetry and literature alive."

Bita also created the Bita Daryabari Endowment in Persian Letters at Stanford University, where The Annual Bita Prize in Literature has become the most coveted prize in the realm of Persian letters. With this endowment, Stanford has been able to hire three full-time professors of Persian literature.

The Shahnama endowment occurs just as the Cyrus Cylinder is making its way around the United States for the first time in history. Daryabari co-sponsored the San Francisco exhibition of the Cyrus Cylinder at the Asian Arts Museum of San Francisco, Aug 9 - Sept 22, 2013 (http://www.asianart.org/exhibitions_index/cyrus-cylinder). Recognized as one of the most iconic objects of religious tolerance and multiculturalism, the Cyrus Cylinder (normally housed in the British Museum) has come to symbolize mankind's first document on human rights.