Hundreds of mourners turn out as Iranian composer Mohammad Reza Shajarian is buried near national poet Ferdowsi

Mohammad Reza Shajarian, one of Iran's most celebrated musicians, was buried on Saturday near the 10th-century national poet Ferdowsi, Iranian media reported. The classical composer and singer, who died on October 8, in a Tehran hospital at the age of 80 after a long battle with cancer, was regarded as a national treasure who revived traditional music. He maintained difficult relations with the authorities in Tehran throughout his career, first under the reign of the Shah and then with the Islamic republic. State TV on Saturday made a brief announcement about Shajarian's burial, which the media said was attended by his family, the culture minister, music veterans, artists and fans. The official IRNA news agency said large screens were installed in the streets of the nearby city of Mashhad to allow his fans to watch the procession live. However, state TV did not cover the event live and photos and videos were posted on semi-official websites hours after the funeral. Shajarian was buried, as he had willed, in the vicinity of Ferdowsi's mausoleum in the northwestern city of Tus. Video footage showed mourners singing Morgh-e Sahar (The Dawn Bird) over Shajarian's grave, an ode to freedom and revolution that he composed.

Hundreds of mourners turn out as Iranian composer Mohammad Reza Shajarian is buried near national poet Ferdowsi

Iran's most celebrated musician died on Thursday at the age of 80