This educational documentary, which is directed by the Iranian film maker and photographer Majeed Beenteha,
is about the life and times of Omar Khayyam, the famed 11th-century Persian mathematician and astronomer. It reexamines Khayyam’s life, work and poetry, and attempts to identify the reasons behind our intellectual preoccupation with his poetry and message.
Text and photos by Jeff Greene
Baku, modern and ancient
The city of Baku, the capitol of Azerbaijan, located below the Caucasus Mountains on the edge of the Caspian Sea, is a fascinating blend of east and west, old and new. In the late 1800s, numerous “oil barons’ mansions” were built alongside the existing ancient Islamic walled city in a strange mixture of architectural styles that mixed European classical, Art Nouveau with Persian eclecticism. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union 20 years ago, Baku has experienced another oil-fueled building boom of modern skyscrapers. But nothing seems to capture the essence of the Azerbaijan psyche the way that traditional Mugham music does.
The two Jeff's with the staff of the conservatory
