Analytical Ethnography Of The Native Ritual Performance “Bazaar- e Madineh” in the Mourning Culture Of Women In Bushehr: An Interpretive Anthropological Approach

The purpose of this article is to provide an analytical study of the roots of the presence of women in Bushehr in the performative ritual Bazaar-e Madineh with an interpretive approach based on Clifford Geertz's anthropological theory. In the religious culture of Bushehr, women, with the participation of men, perform the performative ritual Bazaar-e Madineh every year on the twentieth day of the month of Safar in a contemplative manner as a field performance. In this article, Bazaar-e Madineh is examined with an emphasis on interpretive anthropology based on understanding the cultural symbols in two fundamental aspects: 1) interpretation of cultural-religious symbols in Bazaar-e Madineh, and 2) exploring the impact of women's presence in Bazaar-e Madineh through the lens of interpretive and symbolic anthropology. The research method used was fieldwork (participatory observation and interviews) as well as library sources. The collected information was analyzed qualitatively using descriptive and analytical methods based on Clifford Geertz's interpretive approach, addressing fundamental questions such as key elements in Bazaar-e Madineh, women's position in belief systems, and the historical and cultural origins of this ritual performance in mourning culture in Bushehr. The findings indicate that women in Bushehr play roles similar to those of the women of the Ahl al-Bayt, and their presence signifies three points in the symbolic religious system: 1) animism, 2) collective cohesion, and 3) reenactment of religious beliefs.