Videos: The Nomadic Life of the Bakhtiari Tribe in Iran
Society and Culture Video Blog, Kodoom.com
Some historians believe that the Bakhtiari are Lurs, who were young descendants of those who survived and fled from Zahhak, a demonic cruel tyrant mentioned in Zoroastrian mythology and in Shahnameh. Lurs took shelter in Zardkuh and Kuhrang, where they named themselves Lur ("nomadic"). Feeling lucky in escaping danger throughout their history, they called themselves bakhtiyar ("one with fate on his side").
Others suggest that Bakhtiyaris descended from the Uxian tribe, which clashed with the Macedonian king Alexander the Great (r. 336–323 BC) in Khuzestan 330 BC. Due to the close resemblance to the names Bakhtiyari and Bakhtari (Bactrian), some historians have suggested that the Bakhtiyaris descended from the Greeks who ruled over Bactria. Yet other historians consider the Bakhtiyaris named after the ancient Persian word Bakhtar ("the West") due to their geographical habitat.
The Bakhtiari live between the region of Khuzestan and Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari (a province named after them!). They speak a dialect of Persian called Lori and are Shia Muslims like the majority of the country. Today, the estimation shows that only a third of the tribe remains nomadic. Since many have settled down to become farmers. Sar Agha Seyed is a village in Southwest Iran, inhabitants of the village are Bakhtiari. They were nomadic people approximately 400 years before but they gradually become sedentary and built their modest home around the shrine of Sar Agha Seyed:
Nomads rely on nature and their livestock and produce their own dairy products, handicrafts, handwoven rugs and clothing called Choogha. They are also good hunters. This is an interesting report by Iranian TV:
Related:
The Nomadic Journey of a Bakhtiari Family According to the Smithsonian Magazine
In Pictures: One Wrong Step Means Death! Fearless Bakhtiari Nomads Use Mountain Pass
Grass: The 1925 Film About the Journey of the Bakhtiari People
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