Read Classical Persian & Arabic Texts Line by Line
Dabestan Academy pairs doctoral scholars, graduate researchers, and serious students with master philologists to dissect unedited manuscripts, philosophical treatises, and literary monuments in rigorous, private 1-on-1 sessions.
Watch Academy Introduction
Discover our seminar method, philological annotation practices, and how private text-reading sessions are conducted.
Primary Fields of Inquiry & Critical Study
Close textual study of poetry and prose from the Samanid through Safavid eras (Firdausi, Sa'di, Hafez, Nizami, Bayhaqi).
Rigorous close-reading of classical Arabic and Persian philosophical, logical, and theological treatises.
Mastery of eloquence, syntactic nuance, and rhetoric in seminal Arabic texts and poetic anthologies.
Deciphering historical hands (Naskh, Nasta'liq, Shikasteh), collation methods, and diplomatic analysis.
Featured Texts & Commentary
Every course is structured for one-on-one reading. Choose between individual sessions or comprehensive 5- and 10-lesson study packages with special rates.
Reading Tarikh-i Bayhaqi: The Eloquence of Ghaznavid Prose
Language: Persian
Tarikh-i Bayhaqi stands as the undisputed summit of Persian historical prose. In this course, each one-on-one session guides the student sentence by sentence through the dramatic accounts of Amir Mas'ud, the trial of Hasanak the Vizier, and diplomatic exchanges with the Abbasid caliphate. Focus is placed on syntactical peculiarities, archaic lexicography, and stylistic nuance.
The Ghazals of Sa'di: Elegance, Meter, and Subtle Diction
Language: Persian
Sa'di of Shiraz is celebrated as the absolute standard of pure, lucid classical Persian. This course offers rigorous textual commentary on selected lyrical poems (ghazals), elucidating grammatical subtleties, rhetorical devices, and cultural context.
Reading Avicenna: Sharh al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat
Language: Arabic
Al-Isharat wa al-Tanbihat is Ibn Sina’s final philosophical masterpiece, characterized by condensed, aphoristic prose. Guided line by line with the seminal commentary of Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, this seminar unpacks arguments on ontology, the soul (Nafs), and mystical stations (Maqamat al-Arifin).
Nahj al-Balagha: Sermons and Classical Arabic Rhetoric
Language: Arabic
Compiled by Al-Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha represents the zenith of post-Quranic Arabic eloquence. This course investigates the linguistic beauty, Saj' (rhymed prose), lexical density, and historical setting of seminal sermons such as the Ash-Shiqshiqiyya and the letter to Malik al-Ashtar.
Deciphering Persian Manuscripts & Codicology
Language: Persian
A practical workshop for editors, graduate students, and researchers working with unedited primary sources. Students examine high-resolution scans of manuscripts in Nasta'liq, Ta'liq, and Shikasteh, learning scribal abbreviations, marginalia notes, and collation techniques.
How Dabestan Works
A transparent, scholar-led methodology tailored to academic goals, translation projects, and doctoral research.
Book a Free 15-Min Discovery
Every student can schedule a complimentary 15-minute video meeting with any instructor. Discuss your current proficiency, specific research questions, and the primary texts you intend to read.
Choose Text or Propose Your Own
Select a curated course from our syllabus or request a Custom Reading / Directed Study for an unedited codex, archival document, or thesis chapter. Purchase single sessions or discounted 5/10 lesson packages.
1-on-1 High Definition Sessions
Meet live over Google Meet with your instructor. Download source PDFs, examine grammatical nuances, and reschedule anytime with our generous 24-hour advance notice policy.
Distinguished Instructors
Our fellows combine traditional seminary erudition with modern Western academic training in codicology and philology.
Dr. Seyed Mohsen Haeri
Senior Fellow in Islamic Philosophy & Kalam
Scholar of Avicennian Philosophy, Kalam, and Classical Arabic Lexicology with over 20 years of seminar teaching experience.
Dr. Maryam Tabatabaei
Lecturer in Classical Persian Prose & Stylistics
Philologist and editor of classical Persian prose, specialist in early New Persian syntax and Tarikh-i Bayhaqi.
Sheikh Ahmad Al-Alawi
Master of Classical Arabic Rhetoric & Exegesis
Classical Arabist and scholar of Arabic Balagha (Rhetoric), Nahj al-Balagha, and Quranic syntactic exegesis.
Dr. Farhad Rastin
Specialist in Codicology & Persian Paleography
Manuscript curator and paleographer specializing in Persian codicology, scribal colophons, and Shikasteh script.
Working on an Unedited Manuscript or Specialized Treatise?
Submit a directed reading request with your thesis topic, selected folios, or PDF sample. Our scholars will review your source material and arrange custom one-on-one sessions.