Introducing Dr. Richard Frye

Richard Nelson Frye is a well known scholar in central Asian studies who has written many books on Iran. Richard Nelson Frye (c. 1920) is an American scholar of Iranian and Central Asian Studies, and Aga Khan Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at Harvard University. Professor Frye founded the Center for Middle Eastern Studies [2] at Harvard, the first Iranian studies program in America.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama to a family of immigrants from Sweden. He speaks fluent Russian, German, Arabic, Persian, French, Pashto, Uzbek, and Turkish[1], and has extensive knowledge of Avestan, Pahlavi, Sogdian, and other Central Asian languages and dialects.


Dr. Frye's speech at UCLA in March 2005
Amazon listing of his books
Read some of his works on the history of Iran

Watch the Video of Nasim Shomal TV with Dr. Frye Here (persian)

Translation of part of the interview:

He mentions in the interview that he wants to be buried in Isfahan, Iran. When asked why not Shiraz near Persapolis, he said, "I love Shiraz more than Isfahan but Shriazis are lazy". LOL

He also mentions that Secularism for the first time started in Iran. The Achaemanid Persians for the first time separated local Religions from the data (Law.) He laments that Iranians do not know their own culture and the kind of civilization and heritage they have inherited. He explains the cause of unprecedented interest in pre-Islamic Iranian studies by Iranians, the "new occupation of Iran by the Islam " (Estily-e-Dobarayeh AraAb) in 1979. He was asked "Why Iranian studies? He said he was interested in Turks in the beginning but his studies showed that it was Iran whose civilization has influenced all others. He feels that Iranian culture cannot be wiped out like Norooz by systematic Islamization by the IR no matter how hard they try.

He also states that religion was not that important in the Iranian culture before the Islamic Conquest of Iran by the Islamic Armies. All local religions were tolerated and Reason took precedant over religion.

Frye feels that Persian civilization was under-appreciated by other Muslims, and Arab Muslims in particular. Frye wrote:

Arabs no longer understand the role of Iran and the Persian language in the formation of Islamic culture. Perhaps they wish to forget the past, but in so doing they remove the bases of their own spiritual, moral and cultural being…without the heritage of the past and a healthy respect for it…there is little chance for stability and proper growth."
(R. N. Frye, The Golden Age of Persia, London: Butler & Tanner Ltd., 1989, page 236)

P.S. He sounds more Iranian than all Iranians I know. His Persian accent is so cute and charming. I'm in love with this man...LOL

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