Seljuq Tarot - Persian miniature art meets Rider-Waite-Smith
Most tarot decks that draw on other artistic traditions borrow a few decorative elements and stop there. The Seljuq Tarot commits more fully than that. Parastoo Pakzad builds the entire visual language around the Seljuk school of Persian miniature art, a tradition known for its ornate floral patterns, rich warm and strikingly vivid colours, and a compositional style that treats pictorial space very differently from European painting.
The underlying structure stays true to the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot: 78 cards, the same archetypes, the same Major and Minor Arcana, the same four suits. Anyone who knows the RWS system will find the familiar symbols, but wrapped in imagery that reads like a page from an illuminated Persian manuscript.
What you see on the cards
The illustrations show figures in settings that clearly reference classical Persian miniature: geometric gardens, arabesque backgrounds, clothing filled with fine ornamental patterns. The colour palette is rich and detailed without becoming overwhelming. The guidebook also references the influence of detailed European masters such as Bruegel and Bosch, though the Persian aesthetic is the dominant visual language.
The cards measure 70 x 102 mm, compact enough to handle comfortably. The smooth card stock is designed to hold up under regular use.
The guidebook and the Persian Garden Spread
The 104-page guidebook covers the symbolism of each card with meanings for both upright and reversed positions. It also opens with an introduction to the Persian art tradition that shapes the imagery, which makes the visual choices feel grounded rather than decorative.
The most distinctive feature is the Persian Garden Spread: an exclusive seven-card layout built around themes of harmony and balance, inspired by the design logic of the classical Iranian garden. This is not a generic cross spread repurposed for the occasion. It is a layout developed specifically for this deck.
Try the Persian Garden Spread first when you sit down with this deck. The positions connect directly to the visual language of the cards and make the maker's thinking around harmony as a guiding theme immediately clear.
About Parastoo Pakzad
Parastoo Pakzad (b. 1986, Tehran) is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of graphic design, photography and classical painting. She completed her master's degree in Rome and has since focused her research on connecting Persian artistic traditions with contemporary visual storytelling.
The Seljuq Tarot is a direct product of that research. Pakzad describes her work as both autobiographical and universal: rooted in her own cultural background, but readable for anyone who works with tarot.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Guidebook: 104 pages
- Language: English
- Card size: 70 x 102 mm
- Box size: 83 x 108 mm
- Finish: Smooth card stock
- Author and illustrator: Parastoo Pakzad
- Publisher: U.S. Games Systems
- ISBN: 9781646713141
Questions we often get
Does this deck work if you already know the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot?
Yes. The 78 cards follow the RWS structure, with the same archetypes and suit divisions. The Persian imagery is new, but the underlying symbolism will be recognisable to anyone already familiar with RWS-based decks.
What language are the cards and guidebook in?
Both are entirely in English. Card names appear in English on the cards themselves, and the guidebook, including the Persian Garden Spread, is written in English.
