One of the most unique experiences I have had in Iran was getting to watch the zurkhaneh, an ancient mix of sport and religion that is thousands of years old. I am told that it began during a time when the Iranians were ruled by other nations and they were not allowed to train for war. They created this form of exercise to represent said training but incorporated ritual and religion into it, primarily Sufism along with Mithraism.

The one hour performance is accompanied by the singing and drumming by a leader who is singing verses from the Iranian epic the Shahnameh as well as poetry from Hafez.

Each of the exercises is designed to represent a different weapon:

Representing the Sword

Representing the Mace

Representing the Bow & Arrow