Chowgan is an equestrian sport played with music and narration and is similar to polo. In Iran, this game dates back to more than two thousand years ago, and it used to be played in royal and governmental fields and open spaces of the cities.
Evidence suggests that it has been played in Isfahan since at least the Seljuk period.
In chowgan, there are two teams aiming to move the ball against each other by means of their special sticks (similar to wooden hammers) and score a goal.
In chowgan, the main game is accompanied by a musical performance and an act of storytelling. Thus, three groups of players, storytellers and musicians work together to make a chowgan match happen.
Chowgan is a cultural, artistic and sports event, which has a strong connection with the identity and history of its participants and its audience.
It has frequently emerged in literature, proverbs, handicrafts and even jewellery, and this has consequently played an important role in giving chowgan symbolic significance.
The chowgan associations established in recent decades have held training courses, supported local instructors and, while respecting local differences, played a crucial role in promoting all the aspects of chowgan.
Clear evidence of chowgan in literature and works of art found in museums around the world (including paintings, miniatures and handicrafts) proves that chowgan is not just a sport but a part of Iranian culture and history, which represents chivalry, self-sacrifice, humanity and clemency.
Chowgan is the first game in the world that respects fair play or sportsmanship. In the story of “Siavash,” Ferdowsi, the great Iranian poet, emphasizes the need for fairness in chowgan and advises the Iranian army to give some chance to their opponent in the field so that they would not feel ashamed in front of their king.
Also, when Alexander invaded Iran, Darius III sent him a chowgan ball, offering him to play chowgan instead of fighting. This is why it has become famous as “the king of the games and the game of the kings” in the world.
Narration and music have been two major elements of chowgan. During the game, in a corner of the field, trumpets, horns and drums were also played. Meanwhile, the narrators either improvised a report and recounted it to the audience or recited poems about chowgan from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh or the works of other poets such as Nizami Ganjavi.
Of these poems, we can refer to the story of “Siavash and Afrasiab” or the love story of “Shirin and Khosrow” (who met on a chowgan field), a tale that was beautifully composed by Nizami. As a matter of fact, playing chowgan was associated with joy, and it was played on happy occasions.
Isfahan has long been the main centre of chowgan and Naqsh-e Jahan Square was the central place for playing the game.
Prior to the international registration of chowgan by Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan registered this traditional game in the 8th session of the World Heritage Committee on Dec. 3, 2013.
