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Dr. Manya Saadi-nejad

Lecturer, Religions and Cultures


Dr. Manya Saadi-nejad
Office: S-FA 101  
FA Annex,
2060 Mackay
Phone: (514) 848-2424 ext. 2065
Email: manya.saadi-nejad@concordia.ca

PhD
Iranian Studies,
Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany, 2019


Teaching activities

Myths of Ancient Iran and Mesopotamia

Manichaeism

Persian Language (Introductory/Advanced)

Zoroastrianism

Religion and Society in Contemporary Iran

Introduction to Iranian Civilization


Refereed publications

Opposing Aspects of Female Power in Mythological Reflexes of Ancient Goddesses,” Iran and the Caucasus 20 (2016): 205-214

“Iranian Goddesses,” in Richard Foltz, Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present, London: Oneworld, 2013, pp. 56-74.
Book Chapter

“Areduui Sura Anahita: An Indo-European River Goddess,” Analytica Iranica 4-5 (2013): 253-74.
Article

“Mythological Themes in Iranian Culture and Art: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives,” IranianStudies 42/2 (2009): 231-246
Article

“Is Zoroastrianism an Ecological Religion?” Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture 1/3 (2007): 413-430 (Co-authored with Richard Foltz).

Anahita: A History and Receptions of the Iranian Water Goddess, I.B. Tauris/Bloomsbury, January 2021
Book

“Four Iranian Goddesses,” in Pilkho Pak, ed., Civilizations of the Great Silk Road from the Past to the Future, Samarkand: International Institute for Central Asian Studies, 2017
Article


Conference presentations

“Sudabeh and Rudabeh: Opposing Aspects of Female Power,” 10th Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies, Montréal, Canada, 6-9 August 2014.

“Visual Representations of Anahita in the Avesta,” 9th International Society for Iranian Studies biennial conference, Istanbul, Turkey, 1-5 August 2012.

“Ar¿duui Sura Anahita: An Indo-European River Goddess,” Thus Spoke Zarathushtra: International Conference of Scholars on Zoroastrianism, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 2-3 June 2012.

“Visual Representations of Anahita in the Avesta,” 7th European Conference on Iranian Studies, Krakow, Poland, 7-10 September 2011.

“Mythological Themes in the Work of Contemporary Iranian Artists,” 7th International Society for Iranian Studies biennial conference, Toronto, ON, 30 July-2 August 2008.

“Zoroastrian New Year in Montréal,” Canadian Society for the Study of Religion annual conference, Vancouver, B.C., 1-5 June 2008.

“Mythological Themes in the Work of Contemporary Iranian Artists,” 41st annual Middle East Studies Association annual conference, Montréal, 17-20 November 2007.

“Visual Aspects of Ancient Iranian Gods,” 6th Conference on Ancient Culture Research, Rudaki Association, UNESCO, Paris, France, Nov. 2002.

“Rehabilitating the Pairikas: “Fairies” in Iranian mythology,” 12th Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies, University of California, Irvine, 14-17 August 2018.

“The Indo-European Dragon-Slaying Myth,” Association for the Study of Persianate Societies biennial conference, Tbilisi, Georgia, 15-18 March 2018.


Art exhibitions in Canada

August 2014: Group painting exhibition, MÉKIC gallery, Montréal, Canada

October 2010: Art Westmount biennial group exhibition, Westmount, Qc, Canada

March 2010: Group painting exhibition, Arta Gallery, Toronto, Canada

Dec 2009-Jan 2010: Group painting exhibition, MÉKIC gallery, Montréal, Canada

Sept 2008: Solo painting exhibition, Visual Voice Gallery, Montréal, Canada

April 2008: Group painting exhibition, Visual Arts Centre, Montréal, Canada

Nov 2007: Group painting exhibition, Palais de Congrès, Montréal, Canada

March 2007: Group painting exhibition, Visual Arts Centre, Montréal, Canada


Invited public lectures

February 2016: “How to Kill a Dragon in Ancient Iran,” Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies, University of California-Irvine

June 2008: “Ancient Iranian Deities,” Darbe Mehr Zoroastrian Temple, Vancouver, B.C.

October 2005: “A Short History of the Persian Language,” Friends of Zarathushtra Association, Concordia University, Montreal.

May 2001: “Persian Painting,” Iranian Culture Association, UNESCO, Paris

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