Ashura puppet show in Tehran

The opera is about the battle of Imam Hussein (AS) and his companions against the Umayyad dynasty during Ashura, the tenth day of the month of Muharram on the lunar calendar, the day upon which Imam Hussein (AS) was martyred in Karbala in 680 CE.

The Ashura opera puppet show is a blend of music, puppetry, poetry, and tazieh (Iranian passion play).

The opera puppet show was staged with music by Iranian composer Behzad Abdi, which has been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine under the baton of Vladimir Sirenko.

The Ashura puppet show premiered in Tehran in 2008. It has been staged in France, Italy, Poland, and several other countries.