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CAIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL & CULTURAL NEWS OF IRANIAN WORLD© |
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Sistan Ancient Game Festival Underway
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20 May 2006 |
LONDON, (CAIS) -- Grand ancient festival of Sistan (ancient Sakestan) indigenous games is underway in Zabol, southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province, on the occasion of National Cultural Heritage Week (May 18-24), Mohammad Ali Ebrahimi, head of the city’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department said.
Ebrahimi said that local teams play Sistani games during the weeklong event.
Based on evidence, Sistan inhabitants have had 90 different games in old times,
the official stated.
He named some of the games as Khasu, Kabadi, Kich Zur and Catch Wrestling.
Kabadi is a team pursuit sport from South Asia. It is most popular in South and
Southeast Asia but is also played in Japan, Korea, and Canada. The name derives
from a Hindi word meaning “holding of breath“ that is often used as a chant
during the play.
Kich Zur is ancient Sistani game played since the time of Parthian dynasty, is a game which resembles modern rugby. But teams play with cow bone instead of a ball.
The province has ancient sites going back more than 3000 BCE. City of Zabol with
a population of 400,000 is located 205 km northeast of the provincial capital
city Zahedan.
One of the country’s most important archaeological site Burnt City (Shahr-e
Soukhteh) is situated 55 km from Zabol on the Zabol-Zahedan Road. Early human
settlements in the city date back 3,000 BCE. The city was the economic nerve centre
of its time. It is extended over 150 hectares.
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"History is the Light on the Path to Future" |
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Encyclopaedia Iranica
The British Institute of Persian Studies "Persepolis Reconstructed"
The British Museum
The Royal Asiatic Society
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