''Mokhtarnameh'' (, ) is an Iranian

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

directed by Davood Mirbagheri, based on the life of

Al-Mukhtar Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd al-Thaqafi (; – 3 April 687) was a pro- Alid revolutionary based in Kufa, who led a rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate in 685 and ruled over most of Iraq for eighteen months during the Second Fitna. Born in Ta ...

, a pro-

Alid The Alids are those who claim descent from Ali ibn Abi Talib (; 600–661 CE), the fourth Rashidun caliph () and the first imam in Shia Islam. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The main branches are the ...

revolutionary based in

Kufa Kufa ( ), also spelled Kufah, is a city in Iraq, about south of Baghdad, and northeast of Najaf. It is located on the banks of the Euphrates, Euphrates River. The estimated population in 2003 was 110,000. Along with Samarra, Karbala, Kadhimiya ...

, who led an islamic revolution against the Umayyads in 685 and ruled over most of

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

for eighteen months during the

Second Fitna The Second Fitna was a period of general political and military disorder and civil war in the Islamic community during the early Umayyad Caliphate. It followed the death of the first Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I in 680, and lasted for about twelve y ...

. Over 140 actors were cast in it. It was originally shot 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 ...

language, and later dubbed into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

and

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

languages. The series is one of the most well-received Iranian TV series worldwide, and it is aired on national TV every

Muharram Al-Muharram () is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of Safar. The tenth of Muharram is known as Ashura, an important day of commemoration in ...

month.

Plot summary

After nine years of farming and away from the battlefield,

Mukhtar A mukhtar (; ) is a village chief in the Levant: "an old institution that goes back to the time of the Ottoman rule". According to Amir S. Cheshin, Bill Hutman and Avi Melamed, the mukhtar "for centuries were the central figures". They "were ...

returns to politics when

Hasan ibn Ali Hasan ibn Ali (; 2 April 670) was an Alids, Alid political and religious leader. The eldest son of Ali and Fatima and a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Hasan briefly ruled as Rashidun caliphate, Rashidun caliph from January 661 unt ...

is injured in his battle with

Muawiyah Mu'awiya I (died 680) was the founder and first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 680. People Mu'awiya () is a male Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic lang ...

's forces. Years later, Mukhtar arrives in

to prepare for Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī''s arrival. On

Yazid Yazīd (, "increasing", "adding more") is an Arabic name and may refer to: Given name * Yazid I (647–683), second Umayyad Caliph upon succeeding his father Muawiyah * Yazid II (687–724), Umayyad caliph * Yazid III (701–744), Umayyad caliph ...

's orders,

Ibn Ziyad Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad () was the Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad governor of Basra, Kufa and Greater Khorasan, Khurasan during the reigns of caliphs Mu'awiya I () and Yazid I (), and the leading general of the Umayyad army under caliphs Marwan I () an ...

arrives and unites the people of Kufa against Husayn by using lies. Mukhtar is imprisoned to prevent the riot. He is released after the

battle of Karbala The Battle of Karbala () was fought on 10 October 680 (10 Muharram in the year 61 Hijri year, AH of the Islamic calendar) between the army of the second Umayyad Caliphate, Umayyad caliph Yazid I () and a small army led by Husayn ibn Ali, th ...

on Yazid's orders. Mukhtar vows to avenge Husayn's death. Needing allies, he travels to

Mecca Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is the capital of Mecca Province in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia; it is the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valley above ...

and meets

Ibn Zubayr Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (; May 624October/November 692) was the leader of a caliphate based in Mecca that rivaled the Umayyads from 683 until his death. The son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr, and grandson of ...

. Mukhtar helps Ibn Zubayr's brother, Mus'ab, defeat an

Umayyad The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...

assault; but no alliance is made. Mukhtar returns to Kufa and unites the people now that Ibn Ziyad has returned to

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

and Kufa is leaderless. Mukhtar expels Ibn Zubayr's appointed governor and takes control of the city. During the next years he kills almost all of Husayn's murderers, including Ibn Ziyad,

Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...

and

Shimr Abū al-Sābigha Shamir ibn Dhī al-Jawshan (), often known as Shamir or Shimar, was an Arab military commander from Kufa who killed Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680. Life Shimr was a s ...

, while battling both Umayyad caliph and Ibn Zubayr's armies. Eventually he is defeated by Mus'ab's army and retreats to his palace in Kufa. After one year, Mukhtar orders his forces to march and break the siege; but only few follow him outside. Mukhtar is killed and Mus'ab surprisingly orders all of Mukhtar's soldiers who have surrendered to be decapitated.

Cast

* Fariborz Arabnia as Al-Mukhtar *

Zhaleh Olov Zhaleh Olov (; 6 August 1927 – 23 December 2024) was an Iranian actress, dubber and poet. Life and career Olov was born on 6 August 1927. She started her career working in radio and cinema in 1948 and an actress in theater in 1949. She m ...

as the mother of Al-Mukhtar *

Davoud Rashidi Davoud Rashidi (; July 16, 1933 – August 26, 2016) was an Iranian actor. Rashidi, along with Ali Nasirian, Ezatollah Entezami, Jamshid Mashayekhi and Mohammad Ali Keshavarz is known as one of "the five most important actors in the history of ...

as the father-in-law of Al-Mukhtar * Farhad Aslani as

Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad () was the Umayyad governor of Basra, Kufa and Khurasan during the reigns of caliphs Mu'awiya I () and Yazid I (), and the leading general of the Umayyad army under caliphs Marwan I () and Abd al-Malik (). He virtually ...

Amin Zendegani Amin Zendegani (; born August 27, 1972) is an Iranian actor. He is best known for his role as Solomon in the historical film ''The Kingdom of Solomon'' (2010)''.'' He has also starred in television series ''The Newlywed'' (2002), ''Mokhtarnameh' ...

Muslim ibn Aqeel Muslim ibn Aqil al-Hashimi () was a relative of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Muslim was the son of Aqil ibn Abi Talib and a cousin of Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shia Imam, who dispatched him to Kufa in Iraq to ascertain their support upon the ...

Reza Kianian Reza Kianian (, born June 19, 1951, in Tehran) is an Iranian actor. He has received various accolades, including two Crystal Simorgh, a Hafez Award and two Iran Cinema Celebration Awards. Early life Kianian is the second child of a family of ...

Abd Allah Ibn Zubayr Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (; May 624October/November 692) was the leader of a caliphate based in Mecca that rivaled the Umayyads from 683 until his death. The son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and Asma bint Abi Bakr, and grandson of t ...

Mohammad-Reza Sharifinia Mohammad-Reza Sharifinia (, born 15 June 1955) is an Iranian actor and film producer . Early life Sharifinia was born on 15 June 1955 in Tehran, Iran. After graduating from the ''Faculty of Dramatic Arts'', he married Iranian actress Azita Haji ...

Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya (, , 15–81 AH) was a son of Ali ibn Abi Talib, who was the fourth caliph in Sunni Islam () and the first imam in Shia Islam. Ibn al-Hanafiyya was an effective lieutenant for his father Ali during his caliphate. After ...

* Seyed Javad Hashemi as the commander-in-chief of

Hassan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

's army *

Parvin Soleimani Parvin Soleimani ( : 13 June 1922 – 1 June 2009) was an Iranian actress of theater and cinema, who dedicated over 60 years of her life to Iranian art and cinema. She died at the age of 86 in Tehran. Career Parvin Soleimani was born in 192 ...

as a woman selling pickles *

Vishka Asayesh Vishka Asayesh (; born November 7, 1972) is an Iranian actress. Career She obtained a degree in set design from the UK. She is also a sculptor and has exhibited her art works at Etemad Gallery in Tehran in 2012. Vishka became a household name a ...

as Ja'ada bint al-Ash Ath (

ibn Ali's wife) *

Gohar Kheirandish Gohar Kheirandish (; born ) is an Iranian actress and was born in Neyriz. While studying and working in Tehran, Kheirandish started working in television. Her first film, Days of Waiting, was directed by Asghar Hashemi. She then appeared in '' ...

as Hannaneh *

Hadis Fooladvand Hadis fooladvand (borne ; , also Romanized as Hadis Fouladvand) is an Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and ...

as Rahele (wife of Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar) *

Elham Hamidi Elham Hamidi (, also Romanization, Romanized as "Elhām Hamīdī"; born November 29, 1977) is an Iranian actress. She has appeared in the mini-series Yousuf e Payambar (film), Prophet Joseph as Asinaat. She also starred in The Kingdom of Solomon ...

as Shirin (wife of Kian) *

Kazem HajirAzad Kazem HajirAzad (, born March 21, 1950) is an Iranian cinema, television, and stage actor. He is a member of I.F.A.A (Iranian Film Actors Association) and Iranian actors of Theater Forum and also the Theater Forum executive committee. Education ...

as Muhalab *

Behnaz Jafari Behnaz Jafari (; born 16 August 1975, in Tehran) is an Iranian actress. Biography Jafari was born in Tehran and graduated with a bachelor's degree in dramatic literature from the Islamic Azad University. Jafari first learned acting by attendi ...

as Marieh (wife of Ubaidullah ibn Hurr Jofi) *

Karim Akbari Mobarakeh Karim Akbari Mobarakeh (, 6 June 1953 – 29 October 2020) was an Iranian actor and film director, well known for the cast of Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam in ''Shaheed-e-Kufa, Imam Ali'' series. He acted in ''Mokhtarnameh'' as Ahmar ibn Shomait. He ...

as Ahmar ibn Shomait * Shabnam Farshadjoo * Fariba Kowsari as Umra (wife of Mukhtar) * Mehdi Fakhimzadeh as

Umar ibn Sa'd ʿUmar ibn Saʿd ibn Abi Waqqas (; died 686) was a son of Prophets and messengers in Islam, prophet Muhammad's Companions of the Prophet, companion, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. He was born in Medina and later moved to Kufa, which was founded by his fath ...

* Nasrin Moghanloo as Narieh (wife of

) * Ebrahim Abadi as Ubaydah (Mokhtar's assistant) * Mohammad Sadeghi as Abdullah Bin Muteeh * Bahram Shahmohammadloo as Abdullah Bin Yazid *

Shahram Haghighat Doost Shahram Haghighat Doost (; born March 18, 1973) is an Iranian actor. His breakout role was as Naser in the television series ''Red Line'' (1997–1998). Haghighat Doost earned a Crystal Simorgh nomination for his performance in ''The Heart of Ra ...

as Ubaidullah ibn Hurr Jofi * Reza Rooygari as

Kian Kian () is a city in the Central District of Shahrekord County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran. The past leader was historically named Kian Taneja. Demographics Language and ethnicity Kian is populated by Turkic people Tur ...

(Mokhtar's Iranian assistant) * Jafar Dehghan as

Mus'ab ibn al-Zubayr Mu'sab ibn al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam al-Asadi (; died October 691) was the governor of Basra in 686–691 for his brother, the Mecca-based counter-caliph Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, during the Second Fitna. Mus'ab was a son of al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam ...

* Mohammad Fili as

Shemr Abū al-Sābigha Shamir ibn Dhī al-Jawshan (), often known as Shamir or Shimar, was an Arab military commander from Kufa who killed Husayn ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in 680. Life Shimr was a s ...

Hasan Pourshirazi Hasan Pourshirazi (; born March 1, 1958) is an Iranian actor. He received critical acclaim for his performances in films '' Mom's Guest'' (2004), ''The White Meadows'' (2009), ''The Oath'' (2019), and ''The Old Bachelor'' (2024). Early life Has ...

as Bahram Rangraz * Farrokh Nemati as

Hani ibn Urwa Hani ibn Urwa was a Kufan leader who hosted Muslim ibn Aqil and was killed by Ubayd Allah ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, due to ibn Ziyad enmity towards Ahl al-Bayt. Hani is buried behind the Great Mosque of Kufa, Kufa, Iraq, alongside Mukhtar ...

Hamid Ataei Hamid refers to two different but related Arabic given names, both of which come from the Arabic triconsonantal root of Ḥ-M-D (): # (Arabic: ''ḥāmed'') also spelled Haamed, Hamid or Hamed, and in Turkish Hamit; it means "lauder" or "one wh ...

as Saeb (Mokhtar's assistant) * Hassan Mirbagheri as Ibrahim ibn Malik al-Ashtar *

Ahu Kheradmand Ahu or AHU may refer to: Education * Anhui University (AHU), a public university in Hefei, Anhui, China Polynesian religion *Ahu or a'u - the central stone of a Polynesian marae *Ahu (Easter Island), stone platforms for moai *Ahu, altars in h ...

as Khouli's Kufi Woman * Mahmoud Jafari as Ma'aqhal * Amir Reza Delavari as Masoud Saghafi *

Parviz Poorhosseini Parviz Poorhosseini ( 11 September 1941 – 27 November 2020) was an Iranian film, theater and television actor. Biography He was best known for his roles in ''Bashu, the Little Stranger'' (1989), '' The Fifth Season'' (1997) and ''Saint Mary'' ...

as Maytham al-Tammar * Anoushirvan Arjmand as Rifaah ibn Shaddad * Siamak Atlasi as Hussain ibn Numayr * Valiollah Momeni as Shorahbill *

Hamed Haddadi Hamed Ehdadi Haddadi (, , born May 19, 1985) is an Iranian professional basketball player for Palayesh Naft Abadan of the Iranian Basketball Super League (IBSL). He played at the center position and is tall and weighs . Haddadi was the first ...

as Yahya ibn Zamzam * Behnoosh Tabatabaei as Khaashe'e (Wife of Monzar) * Majid Alieslam as Monzar ibn Zobayr * Saleh Mirza Aghaei as Jafar ibn Zubayr * Fereydoun Sorani as Ebne Amin * Shohreh Lorestani as Hamdanid Woman * Abbas Amiri Moghaddam as Amer ibn Mas'oud *

Behnam Tashakkor Behnam Tashakkor (; born January 24, 1977) is an Iranian actor. Early life He was born on January 24, 1977, in Bandar Anzali to an Ardabili Azeri family. He spent his childhood in the city of Hashtpar. He started his activity in theater by pl ...

as Ghole Zabiri * Mostafa Tari as Ibn Huraith * Enayat Shafiee as Abdollah ibn Kamel (Mokhtar's assistant) *

Ahmad Irandoost Ahmad Irandoost (Persian language, Persian: احمد ایراندوست born June 16, 1970) is an Iranian actor. His father, Shahab Irandoost, was one of the wrestlers of Gholamreza Takhti, Gholamreza Takhti's era. Irandoost was introduced to Meh ...

as Haroon Na’lband * Mozafar Moghaddam as Shabas *

Reza Khandan Reza Khandan () is an Iranian human rights activist and graphic designer. The husband of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, Khandan has campaigned against compulsory veiling and the death penalty in Iran and publicly advocated for his wife whe ...

as Sinan ibn Anas *

Bijan Afshar Bijan (also Bizhan, Bijhan or Bejan; ) is a Persian given name meaning "Hero". People named Bijan include: * Bijan (designer) (1940-2011), surname Pakzad, a fashion and perfume designer * Bijan Abdolkarimi (born 1963), Iranian philosopher * Bijan ...

as Bin Ashas * Mir Saleh Hosseini as Bin Hajjaj * Mohammad Hossein Latifi as Bin Shahab * Akbar Sultan Ali as Rustam (Shimr servant) * Sirous Kahvari Nejad as Hurmala Servant

Production

The series, which took five years to complete, includes 40 episodes and is produced by Sima Film. The story reviews the events leading to the martyrdom of the

Imams Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide relig ...

and ends with the adolescence of

. The film also deals with sixteen years of

’s life and includes the death of

, the succession of

, and the events leading to

Ashura Ashura (, , ) is a day of commemoration in Islam. It occurs annually on the tenth of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. For Sunni Muslims, Ashura marks the parting of the Red Sea by Moses and the salvation of the Israelites ...

and whatever related to the uprising of

until his and his companions’ martyrdom.Mokhtarnameh is the sixth TV series directed by Mirbagheri.
/ref>

Costume Design

The costume design for *Mokhtarnameh* was led by Azar Mohammadi, who designed the wardrobes for the entire series. Her work focused on historical accuracy and cultural context, spanning hundreds of characters and scenes. She also supervised the creation of accessories and personal adornments to reflect the distinct roles and identities within the narrative.Mokhtarnameh (TV Series) - Cast & Crew
elCinema.com

Music

The soundtrack for ''Mokhtarnameh'' was made by Amir Tavassoli with a choir. It was sung by Akbar Soltanali and recorded, mixed, and mastered by

Ramin Mazaheri Ramin Mazaheri (; born 21 April 1983) is an Iranian audio engineer, music producer, and musician. He has been cooperating, as an engineer, in the production of several significant albums, such as ''Aah-Baran'' (Mohammad-Reza Shajarian), Pieces ...

in Baran Studio.

Track listing

Adaptations and Broadcast

References

External links

''Mokhtarnameh'' website
*
Mukhtar Nama Ep 1 मुख्तार नामा

Watch the ''Mokhtarnameh'' series online with English subtitles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mokhtarnameh Television series about Islam Cultural depictions of Husayn ibn Ali 2012 Iranian television series debuts Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting original programming Iranian historical films Religious historical television series