The book “Pre-Islamic Texts in the Library of Astan Quds Razavi” by Fatemeh Jahanpour, published in collaboration with Fravahar Publications, has been honored with a commendation at the 43rd Iran Book of the Year Awards.
Produced jointly by Fravahar Publications—the oldest Zoroastrian publisher in Iran—and the Libraries, Museums, and Documentation Center of Astan Quds Razavi, and edited by Mohsen Naji-Nasrabadi, the book was published in 1403 (2024–2025) with 506 pages. Recognized in the General | Manuscripts category, it introduces 29 handwritten manuscripts and 91 lithographed editions of pre-Islamic texts from the Astan Quds collection, marking the first specialized cataloging effort in this domain.
Fravahar Publications has long been a cornerstone in publishing works on Zoroastrian and ancient Iranian culture, language, history, and rituals. Led by Dr. Farzaneh Gashtasb, a linguist and researcher, the publisher emphasizes scholarly works and specialized cataloging, playing a vital role in preserving and promoting Zoroastrian written heritage. Its role in publishing “Pre-Islamic Texts in the Library of Astan Quds Razavi” highlights its commitment to both scientific rigor and cultural preservation.
Dr. Farzaneh Goshtasb, Director of Fravahar Publications, praised the book for its precise presentation of manuscripts and careful attention to physical characteristics and colophons, calling it a model for creating specialized catalogs of Zoroastrian heritage.
Fatemeh Jahanpour, a researcher and scholar of ancient Iranian culture and languages, in “Pre-Islamic Texts in the Library of Astan Quds Razavi”, examines and analyzes 120 manuscripts and lithographed editions in Avestan, Pahlavi, Pazend, and Zoroastrian Persian. She organizes the texts into six thematic sections, highlighting significant works such as the Yasna (976 Yazdegerdi), two early Vendidad manuscripts, and one of the earliest Khorde-Avesta texts in Persian script. Jahanpour also emphasizes the value of colophons in tracing copyists and understanding the social history of the Zoroastrian community.
Abulfazl Hasanabadi, Director of the Manuscripts Center at Astan Quds, described the book as a foundational work for the specialized cataloging of pre-Islamic texts within the Astan Quds collection of 90,000 items, while also highlighting the importance of Abrahamic manuscripts, including Iran’s oldest Torahs. Professors Mohammad-Jafar Yahaghi and Mohammad-Taqi Imanpour recognized the book as a credible resource for research on ancient Iran and an essential step in documenting the non-Islamic texts of Astan Quds.
The closing ceremony of the 43rd Iran Book of the Year Awards took place on the morning of February 8, 2026 (19 Bahman 1404) at Vahdat Hall, with the attendance of the President, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, and numerous prominent cultural figures and activists.
