TEHRAN — Ritual percussion from southern Iran, Afghan qawwali, traditional mourning chants and orchestral performances came together on Saturday during the seventh evening of “Kheymeh-ye Honar” (Tent of Art), an annual Muharram cultural program held at Tehran’s City Theater complex.
The event, organized by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, showcased religious music, ta’zieh passion plays, storytelling traditions and poetry centered on the commemoration of Ashura.
The evening opened with the Avay-e Sahel ensemble performing senj and damam, ceremonial percussion associated with Muharram observances in southern Iran. The rhythmic performance transformed the outdoor venue into a setting evocative of the region’s mourning rituals.
The program continued with the Naghmeh Sepidar choir, which presented choral works dedicated to the uprising of Imam Hussein and themes of sacrifice.
One of the evening’s most notable performances came from Afghanistan. The Salam ensemble presented qawwali, the devotional musical tradition rooted in South Asian Sufism, adapting it to lamentations honoring Prophet Muhammad’s household. Organizers described the performance as highlighting the shared cultural and religious heritage linking Iran and Afghanistan.
Award-winning vocalist Mahmoud Salehi, accompanied by ney player Ali Abdi, then performed traditional mourning songs reflecting the atmosphere of Muharram.
Popular Iranian singer Meysam Ebrahimi followed with a patriotic composition arranged in a martial style, adding a contemporary popular-music element to the evening’s largely traditional repertoire.
The musical segment concluded with a performance by a wind orchestra led by conductor Sina Zakaei.
Beyond music, audiences also watched a pardeh-khani (traditional illustrated storytelling) performance titled The Departure of Mokhtar by Morshed Rasoul Mirzaali, a ta’zieh production depicting the story of Wahb al-Nasrani under the direction of Ahmad Azizi, and poetry recited by Yaha Kashani.
Several senior cultural officials attended the event, including Deputy Minister of Culture Mehdi Shafiei, former Minister of Culture
 Ahmad Masjed Jamei, senior officials from the Ministry of Culture, the Rudaki Foundation and Iran’s performing arts institutions.
Veteran composer and conductor Muhammad Mirzamani said the festival demonstrates the enduring role of art in preserving cultural and religious identity.
Quoting Imam Khomeini’s oft-cited statement that “no ideology endures unless it is expressed through art,” Mirzamani stated that the event represents more than a routine cultural gathering.
He said the program draws on authentic Iranian artistic traditions, spanning visual arts, regional music, ceremonial songs, chavoshi recitations and devotional performances, adding that many musicians regard religious and ritual music as one of the historical foundations of Iranian musical culture.
Hamid Sael, leader of the Afghan group Salam, said the ensemble selected three pieces specifically for Muharram, noting that Afghanistan also maintains longstanding traditions of musical performances during Muharram and Ramadan.
One composition, titled “Hussein Shahid” (“Martyr Hussein”), was dedicated to those killed during the Iran-Iraq War, he said.
Sael explained that while the full ensemble consists of around 50 members, touring performances are typically presented by smaller groups. The Tehran performance featured five musicians playing the dotar, rubab, dambura and vocals.
He described cultural initiatives such as Kheymeh-ye Honar as an important means of passing Ashura traditions to younger generations.
The second edition of Kheymeh-ye Honar runs through July 7 at Tehran’s City Theater complex. 
Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in partnership with several national cultural institutions and Tehran Municipality, the festival features nightly programs of religious music, regional traditions, ta’zieh theater, ceremonial storytelling, poetry and visual arts inspired by the remembrance of Ashura.