Encyclopaedia Iranica: a Dossier

28February 2021

What is going to be the future of Encyclopaedia Iranica (Iranica), the only comprehensive English language encyclopedia that covers anything Iranian studies related from ancient civilizations to modern times?

Ehsan Yarshater the founder of Encyclopaedia Iranica; photo with permission from the Ehsan Yarshater Center for Iranian Studies.

This knowledge production project faced a legal battle involving the Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation (EIF) and Columbia University over copyright ownership. Zamaneh Media has investigated this legal challenge, the background of the conflict, and what it can mean for the future of this project. You can read, Zamaneh investigations in two reports:

Encyclopedia Iranica "A real tour de force" is in Peril

Untold Stories from Encyclopaedia Iranica: Interview with Abbas Amanat

Iranica is the legacy of Persian scholar Ehsan Yarshater (1920–2018). Yarshater founded the Center for Iranian Studies at Columbia University in 1968, which changed its name in 2018 in honor of him to Ehsan Yarshater Center for Iranian Studies. Over four decades, thousands of international scholars have contributed to the multi-disciplinary project of Encyclopaedia Iranica.

Zamaneh Media has also published a dossier on Encyclopaedia Iranica with more articles on our Persian site: Iranica Dossier (Persian).

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