Peter J. Chelkowski

Peter J. Chelkowski (born Piotr Jan Chełkowski, Polish: [pjɔtr jan xɛwˈkɔfski]; 10 July 1933 – 21 October 2024) was a Polish-American scholar of Iranian and Islamic studies. He is best known for his research on ta'ziyeh, the traditional Iranian dramatic art form commemorating the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali.

Chelkowski was born in Lubliniec, Poland. He studied theater at the School of Dramatic Arts in Kraków (1955–1956) and earned a Master's in Oriental Studies at the Jagiellonian University (1953–1958), where he developed his interests in Persian literature and drama. He continued at the SOAS University of London (1959–1962) under Bernard Lewis and Ann K. S. Lambton. In the 1960s, he went to Iran, perfected his Persian, and completed a PhD at the University of Tehran on Nizami Ganjavi, becoming the first Polish citizen to earn a doctorate in Iranian studies there.

Chelkowski joined New York University's Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies in 1967 and remained there until retiring in 2013. He co-founded the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, serving twice as its director (1975–1978, 1988–1991). He was also chair of the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (1975–1978). He received the Golden Dozen Award for Excellence in Teaching (1989, 1996) and numerous academic honors, including the 2010 Farabi International Award in Iranian and Islamic Studies.

Chelkowski died in Turin, Italy.