Book Details

Embark on an illuminating journey through the celestial imagination of the ancient world in A Walk through the Iranian Heavens: Spherical and Non-Spherical Cosmographic Models in the Imagination of Ancient Iran and Its Neighbors by Antonio C.D. Panaino.

In this pioneering 1st edition, Panaino examines how ancient Iranian scholars, priests, and philosophers envisioned the structure of the cosmos—balancing myth, religion, and early scientific thought. Through detailed analysis of Zoroastrian texts, Avestan and Pahlavi sources, and cross-cultural influences from Mesopotamia, India, and Greece, this book unveils how different models of the heavens—both spherical and non-spherical—shaped spiritual and scientific perspectives in the ancient Near East.

Perfect for historians of religion, Iranologists, astronomers of antiquity, and readers passionate about the history of ideas, A Walk through the Iranian Heavens offers a rare synthesis of philological rigor, cosmological insight, and cultural imagination.

Key Features:

Explores Iranian cosmology from mythic to scientific frameworks

Compares celestial models across neighboring civilizations

Grounded in primary ancient sources and philological precision

A vital reference for students and researchers of ancient cosmography and Iranian studies

Discover the cosmic imagination of ancient Iran and its neighbors—where heaven, science, and faith converge in timeless wonder.