Zaar Ceremony

Zaar ceremony is the name of a special and somewhat scary ceremony that is performed in Africa, India, Egypt and southern Iran Hormozgan province, especially Qeshm Island Salakh village,Zinat ritual garden in order to remove ghosts and spirits from the bodies of the people.

What is Zaar ceremony?

According to local people, those who have become ill and who have not been treated with usual treatments, have probably a genie or a wandering soul. That’s why they will hold a special celebration with music to make the person treated.

In the beliefs of Africa and its surrounding areas in the Middle East, the term “Zaar for the jinn” is used. These jinns that are wandering into the body of people, especially women, cause many illnesses and sickness. The rituals are actually from Africa and are accompanied by some special music that can be seen in the effects of African music. Although the Iranian rituals held in Iran have been strikingly different from the rituals in North Africa.

How Zaar ceremony is held?

When a person is ill and apparently does not get good treatment, he or she will be taken to individuals named “Baba Zaar” and “Mama Zaar”. These people specialize in celebrating and lifting ghosts and spirits from the body of the patients. Baba Zaar and Mama Zaar, with the examination of the patient, apparently recognize that the soul had entered into his body. As we said, the only way to treat an jinni person is to carry out the rituals.

local people believe that the Zaar music helps the jinn and get out of the body of the infected person.

Zaar music

As we mentioned above, it is one of the most important parts of the rituals, and in fact we are witnessing a kind of music therapy at the ceremony.

One of the instruments used in the Zaar ceremony is an instrument with the name of a Tanbureh, which only Baba Zaar and someone else allowed by Baba Zar could play it. Baba Zaar or Mama Zaar sings during the ceremony along with musical instruments and sounds of music, and in fact, he want the genies to introduce themselves.

According to baba Zaar the jinns or the winds have different names and he’ll have to say his real name. Baba Zaar, with a stick in his hand, hit the body and asks the jinn to get out of his body and leave him.

Where Zaar ceremony is held?

Zaar ceremonies are mainly held in Salakh village zinat ritual garden in Qeshm Island and is open for public to visit.