Ta‘zīye is a ritual dramatic art form that depicts religious events, mythological and historical tales, and folktales. Also known as Ta'zieh, Ta'ziye, Ta'ziya, Tazia or Ta'ziyeh refer to comfort, condolence, or expression of grief. It derives from the roots aza, which means mourning.
Ta'zieh is an Iranian tradition dating back to the late 17th century. Iranian customs refer to Ta'zieh as a ritual that reenacts the brutal massacre of Hussein (the grandson of Muhammad) and his male children and companions in 680 AD. As some believe that Iman Hossein's tragedy is the next rendition of Siavosh's legend as depicted in Taziah. It was eventually banned by Iranian authorities because it was being exploited for political purposes. The Ta'zieh is no longer performed regularly in Iran, and certain provinces of the region have not seen it at all since 1920. The tradition was first performed in a non-muslim country in France in 1991. Since then, ta'zieh has been observed in cities such as Avignon in France, Paris in France, Parma in Italy, and New York City.
In Ta’ziye, each performance has four components: poetry, music, song, and movement. In some performances, there may be up to a hundred roles based on historical, religious, political, social, supernatural, real, imaginary, or fantasy characters. As individual as Ta'ziye drama, each plays a different subject, wears a different costume, and has its own music. Iranian spectators understand many of the conventions, codes, and signs used in the performances, and they take place on a stage without illumination or decoration. It is always male performers, with female roles often played by men, and most of them are amateurs who earn their living through other means and perform for spiritual reasons.
Iranian culture, literature, and art are profoundly influenced by Ta'ziye, but everyday proverbs can also be found in its ritual plays. As well as preserving old traditions, national culture, and Iranian mythology, its performances promote and reinforce religious values, altruism, and friendship. As well as costume-making, calligraphy, and instrument-making, Ta'ziye also plays an important role in preserving related crafts. Its flexibility has resulted in it becoming a common language for different communities, fostering communication, unity, and creativity. Ta'ziye is passed from tutor to student by example and word of mouth. Currently, there are two hundred fifty pieces of ta'zieh known to us. Those documents were collected by the Italian ambassador to Iran, Cherulli, and added to a collection at the Vatican Library.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/ritual-dramatic-art-of-tazye-00377) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%27zieh)