House Of Strength

KASHAN, IRAN - MAY 10, 2012: A young man gets dressed at the end of an excercise session in Niroomand house of strength on May 10, 2012 in Kashan, Iran. Zourkhaneh or "house of strength" is a traditional gymnasium of urban Iranian and adjacent lands, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan. The Iranian national sport, called Varzesh-e Pahlavani or Varzesh-e Bastani, is practiced in Zourkhaneh. Varzesh-e Bastani combines elements of the pre-Islamic Iranian culture with the spirituality of Sufism. It places emphasis on spiritual and moral purity, participants being expected to be truthful, and good tempered and only then strong in body. The Varzesh-e Bastani rituals mimic the rituals and traditions of Sufi orders, as evidenced by terminology like murshed "master" (beating the drum and reciting poetry), pish kesvat "leader", taj "crown" or faqr "poverty". The ethics involved are also similar to Sufi ideals, emphasizing purity of heart. Every session begins with pious praise of prophet and his family. In less religion-oriented Zourkhanehs, these elements are replaced by the recital of stories from Iranian mythology, such as those of the Shahnameh, which in the opinion of many other Zourkhanehs can negate the true spiritual goal of Varzesh-e Bastani. The main part of a Varzesh-e Bastani session is dedicated to gymnastics or calisthenics, notably using a pair of wooden clubs (mil) and metal shields (sang), and bow-shaped iron weights ('kaman). The exercises also involve acrobatics like Sufi whirling and juggling. The zourkhaneh and Varzesh-e Pahlavani have their roots in pre-Islamic Iranian culture. There has been renewed interest in the Zourkhaneh starting in the early 20th century, and it is now associated with nationalism. (Photo by Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)