Vakhan

Vakhan is the fourth string of the Setar, an Iranian musical instrument. It was added on the instrument about two-hundred years ago by Moshtagh-Ali-Shah, a Sufi mystic, poet, and setar player. He was also a master singer of Persian classical music. His voluntary poverty and simple living, along with his distinctive qualities attracted people to him. Mullahs and the Islamic clergy establishment felt threatened, as people stopped paying respects to them as before. They viewed this a result of Moshtagh-Ali-Shah’s influence and teachings. The clergy declared chanting spiritual songs with music against Islam, and therefore, heresy. They eventually stoned Moshtagh-Ali-Shah to death.

Vakhan is a play about the life and times of Moshtagh-Ali-Shah, written and directed by Morteza Moshtaghi, using multimedia techniques (dialogue, music, songs, dance and video).