Sharareh Ashouri

F2 Sharareh Ashouri (CARDIFF UNI)

Sharareh Ashouri is a doctoral candidate at Cardiff University (UK) studying the intersection of medicine, spiritual authority, and royal politics in ancient and early Islamic Persia. Her thesis, ‘Between Doctors and Prophets: Healing and Health at the Sasanian Court’, explores how Zoroastrian beliefs shaped healing practices in the Sassanid Empire. She focuses on literary and religious texts, especially Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, which reflects Persian national identity and presents healing as both a science and a sacred act linked to divine forces like Ahura Mazda. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature, with a thesis on trauma and indigenous identity. Having taught English literature at an Italian high school, she has broadened her interdisciplinary perspective. She has also studied Sassanian history, Pahlavi language, and world philosophy. Proficient in English, Middle Persian, Modern Persian, and Arabic, Sharareh engages directly with primary sources to bring ancient narratives to life.