Professor Mahmoud Behzad (, b. 1913 - d. 2007), born in

Rasht Rasht (; ) is a city in the Central District (Rasht County), Central District of Rasht County, Gilan province, Gilan province, Iran, serving as the capital of the province, the county, and the district. The city is also known as the "City of ...

, the capital city of

Gilan Gilan Province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, in the northwest of the country and southwest of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is the city of Rasht. The province lies along the Caspian Sea, in Iran's Region 3, west of the province of ...

province, is known as the father of modern

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

in Iran. He wrote more than 100 books in

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

and participated in the authorship of more than 200 books in Iran. The son of a

lapidarist Lapidary () is the practice of shaping stone, minerals, or gemstones into decorative items such as cabochons, engraved gems (including cameos), and faceted designs. A person who practices lapidary techniques of cutting, grinding, and polishin ...

, Behzad completed his initial education in Rasht before pursuing his bachelor's degree at the teachers' training college (''Dāneshsarāy-e 'Āli'') in Tehran. He was the founder o
Iran Scholarly Books Editing Organization
and was fluent in English, French and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

. Behzad was known for the books of French science writer

Jean Rostand Jean Edmond Cyrus Rostand (30 October 1894 – 4 September 1977) was a French biologist, historian of science, and philosopher. Active as an experimental biologist, Rostand became famous for his work as a science writer, as well as a philosopher ...

and English

naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...

that he translated. He worked for more than five years in

Alborz High School Alborz High School () is a college-preparatory gifted high school located in the heart of Tehran, Iran. It is one of the first modern high schools in Asia and the Middle East, named after the Alborz mountain range, north of Tehran. Its place in th ...

as vice president and biology teacher. In the last years of his life, Behzad worked in Shargh pharmacy in

where he was ready to answer his fans and former students. He died due to stomach cancer in his home in

. His older son, Prof. Faramarz Behzad, was previously a lecturer of Persian at

Otto-Friedrich University The University of Bamberg () in Bamberg, Germany, specializes in the humanities, cultural studies, social sciences, economics, and applied computer science. Campus The university is partly housed in historical buildings in Bamberg's Old Town. ...

in Bamberg, and a lexicographer. His only daughter, Prof. Parichehr Behzad works in the research department of

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke ...

. Behzad's younger son, Hooshang Behzad, lives and works in

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

as an architect. The Iran-endemic rodent species ''

Calomyscus behzadi The Behzad's brush-tailed mouse (''Calomyscus behzadi'') is a species of mouse-like hamster. It is found in western Iran, where it is found in rocky areas in mountains. It is named after the Iranian biologist Professor Mahmoud Behzad. Referen ...

'' was named after him in 2021.

References

External links

Professor Behzad fansite

Prof. Behzad Passed away - Hamshahri newspaper (Fa)
Iranian biologists 20th-century science writers People from Rasht 1913 births 2007 deaths Deaths from stomach cancer in Iran 20th-century biologists {{Biologist-stub

See also

References

External links