The Arabic-Speaking Guests of the Academy of Iran

Published in: Ayeneh-ye Pajoohesh (Mirror of Research), Issue 208, 2024, pp. 157–168

This article revisits a little-known episode in the modern history of Persian–Arabic cultural relations: the affiliated membership of four Egyptian intellectuals in Iran’s first language academy, founded in 1935 under Reza Shah. While little documentation exists regarding their scholarly interactions with the Academy, the mere presence of these figures—Mohammad Tawfiq Rif’at, Ali Jarim, Mansour Fahmi, and Mohammad Hussein Haykal—offers a rare opportunity to reflect on the linguistic and literary ties between the two traditions. The article introduces these individuals and considers how their intellectual profiles might shed light on the Academy’s broader cultural vision.

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