Traditional games of Iran explained

Iran has some traditional games, sports, and martial arts that date back thousands of years.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} Many of these games have started to disappear due to urbanisation, the advent of computer games, and the neglect of cultural institutions.^{[5] [6]}

History

Some of the traditional Iranian games were demonstrated at the 1974 Asian Games hosted by Iran as a way of demonstrating the ability for traditional Persian culture to coexist with modern Western culture.^[7]

Traditional games

Zu (Compares with Kabaddi, of Indian origin)

Zu/Zou is similar to the better-known version of the game Kabaddi of India,^[8] and has a history going back thousands of years in the country. In this version, the attacker starts with hawling "zou" (see above reference) the entire time performing the mission without breathing until gets back to the base. Another contrast is there is no 30 second rule in Zu. ^{[9] [10]}

Choub bazi

Martial arts

Pahlavani

Board games

Nard

Card games

As-Nas

Animal events

Chovgan

See also

• Traditional games of South Asia

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2012-01-07 . Molding minds and taming times: The concept of games in Iran . 2023-08-24 . Tehran Times . en.
2. Web site: A traditional Iranian sport has been closed off to women. One activist wants to change that. . 2023-08-24 . The World from PRX . en.
3. Web site: 2019-07-28 . Wrestling-mad Iran lays the Persian carpet for kabaddi . 2023-08-24 . Hindustan Times . en.
4. Web site: UNESCO - Chogān, a horse-riding game accompanied by music and storytelling . 2023-08-24 . ich.unesco.org . en.
5. Taheri . Laleh . Chahian . Golshan . 2015-05-29 . Restoration of Traditional Children's Play in Iranian Nomadic Societies (Case Study of Kohgilouyeh and Boyer Ahmad) . Children . 2 . 2 . 211–227 . 10.3390/children2020211 . 2227-9067 . 4928756 . 27417360 . free .
6. Web site: Traditional games, a potential for drawing tourists . 2023-08-24 . en.irna.ir.
7. Book: Huebner, Stefan . Pan-Asian Sports and the Emergence of Modern Asia, 1913-1974 . 2016-05-11 . NUS Press . 978-981-4722-03-2 . en.
8. News: Incheon . Rohit Brijnath, In . 2014-10-05 . The art and soul of kabaddi: On India's men's and women's Asian Games gold wins in this game of catch . en . The Straits Times . 2023-08-24 . 0585-3923.
9. Web site: Vaidya . Jaideep . 2017-09-06 . From 'zouuu zouuu' to 'kabaddi kabaddi': Tracking Iran's journey to becoming India's biggest rival . 2023-08-24 . Scroll.in . en-US.
10. Book: Schwartz, David Asa . Modern Sports around the World: History, Geography, and Sociology . 2021-06-14 . Bloomsbury Publishing USA . 978-1-4408-6880-1 . en.