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IRAN And Ancient Mesopotamia

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Bianca
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« Reply #15 on: September 02, 2007, 03:19:15 pm »








By the end of the 11th century AD, the Golden Age of Islam was over for many reasons including political/economic stagnation and foreign attacks.

The great families who supported the translation movement and promoted advancement of science and philosophy in Persian, Byzantine and other territories were eradicated.

The Muslim schools were fully established and were dominated by the fundamentalists where political ideology emphasized fate over reason.

The Hellenistic cultures of Egypt, Syria and the Holy Land with its’ Greek and Syriac elements and the Byzantine (Turkey) did not survive. They lost their language and their culture of scientific tradition and enquiry.

Persian culture partially survived but empirical knowledge and scientific traditions were lost. Astronomy like other branches of empirical science was virtually vanished and like medicine was only revived in 20th century Iran. Astrologers on the other hand dominated every aspect of life including love and sexuality.

With the coming of monotheistic religions i.e. Judo-Christianity and Islam the ancient goddesses of love, sexuality and fertility were totally eliminated. Their temples were closed down and communal acts and festivities to ease tension were banned.

People, particularly women, turned to fortunetellers and soothsayers for comfort. Christianity had banned such practices but Islamic ideas of pre-destiny encouraged it.
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Bianca
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« Reply #16 on: September 02, 2007, 03:22:29 pm »








Astrologers by consulting charts and stars prescribed remedies, charms, and talisman and made haphazard recommendations. Most were not educated as the ancient or classical astrologers used to be and incorporated everything including magic and were basically charlatans.

Exclusion of women from public life during the Islamic period, polygamy and women’s’ inferior legal status created unemployment, psychological disorders (for both males and females), insecurity and as a result there was great demand for astrologers and fortunetellers by women.

In fact one of the few employment opportunities left to women at this time was fortune telling. However such women were rarely literate and could not use star charts like their trained male counterparts. As a result they had lower status and were paid less.

By 19th century very few astrologers were properly trained with no observatories. The very few that existed remained at the service of the courts. There are many documents and star charts from 18th and 19thcentury Iran. They belong to the old aristocratic families of the time.

The practice of writing a chart for the male newborns of the grand families was common till the end of the 19th century. Astronomy was revived in the 20th century and had become an important scientific discipline. However the lack of research facilities and progressive institutions has hindered its growth.

The country has no international standing other than many brilliant Iranian individuals working in first class facilities in Europe and North America.
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Bianca
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« Reply #17 on: September 02, 2007, 03:25:07 pm »







It is interesting to note that since the Islamic revolution fortune telling and astrology that was ridiculed in the earlier part of the 20th century has made a comeback in Iran.

Along with mystical cults, believing in supernatural and seeking help from divinity has become popular particularly amongst women including educated ones. Insecure, emotionally drained, legally, socially and economically inferior once again, women are seeking comfort with fortunetellers and astrologers.

Western astrology is also incorporated and horoscopes, tarot cards, Chinese and Indian astrology and their practitioners are read widely and their principles are followed.

Internationally such trends are enjoying a comeback as well but their popularity in Iran no doubt to a large extent is a result of closer contacts with other nations.


http://www.iranchamber.com/culture/articles/astrology_astronomy_iran_mesopotamia.php
« Last Edit: September 02, 2007, 03:26:11 pm by Bianca2001 » Report Spam   Logged

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