The Musical Culture of Women Religious Majales in Tehran: Case of Rū'zekhānī and Maddāhī

This paper focuses on understanding the function of music in religious gatherings of women in Tehran. In addition to analyzing and classifying these gatherings with a focus on music, the key role of music in shaping these ceremonies is also explored. While observing different neighborhoods of Tehran, Sangelaj district was chosen as the research field due to its diverse cultural context. The qualitative research method in the form of a case study was chosen as a tool to understand the subject in a specific period of fourteen months. In this way, participant observation was conducted on all ceremonies based on the Shiite calendar. In the historical background section, all documents, travelogues and diaries were studied. In order to study and analyze the music, the texts of the eulogy were transcribed and categorized. Based on the analysis of the data, the female majales (religious gatherings) were categorized according to the music. Due to religious and traditional considerations and restrictions for women in Iran to sing in public, women’s ceremonies take place away from the media, cameras, and public recording and broadcasting. Although some research has been conducted on women’s religious gatherings, the present study takes a new approach by considering music as the main component of these ceremonies