Iran has a sophisticated cultural heritage ignored in the headlines. The main part of the lecture illustrates the development of the spectacular architecture in the mosques and palaces of Persia through the Islamic period, with an emphasis on their brilliant tilework and painting, including the splendid buildings of Shah Abbas' early 17th century Isfahan. Persia’s classic gardens are mentioned, and beautiful examples of manuscript illustration (‘miniatures’) are included. The lecture explains how the Shi'a form of Islam originated and became the ruling creed in the late 20th century Iran of Ayatollah Khomeini.
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John Osborne graduated in Classics at Cambridge University then taught Classics at Marlborough College for over thirty years. He worked for the British Council in Iran and Turkey, and lectures in Islamic Civilisation. He is also a lecturer at the Department of Continuing Education, University of Bath, a guide at Salisbury Cathedral, lectures on cruises and leads numerous study tours to Bulgaria, Romania, Iran, and Turkey and other countries in S.E. Europe and the Mediterranean.