Thursday, May 29, 2008

Iran safe and sound for tourists

'Iran safe and sound for tourists'
Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:30:07
Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei
Head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization says the country is one of the most secure places for the world tourists.

"In spite of neighboring war-torn countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran enjoys security and peace," CHTN quoted Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei as saying.

Unfortunately Western media by publishing negative propaganda against Iran are working hard to present an untrue image of the Islamic Republic.

Rahim-Mashaei further called on tourists to visit the country and personally witness Iran's security.

He also emphasized the role of Iran as an ancient country that stands as the forerunner of many modern phenomena like modernism and urbanism.

Googad Citadel near Golpayegan Isfahan Iran

Googad Citadel Relic of the Past
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Googad Citadel which is located near the city of Golpayegan (in Isfahan province) dates back to about four centuries.
The only written document that has been left from the citadel belongs to about 130 years ago.
This document indicates that half of the citadel was built by a person named Ali Khan who gave his share of the citadel to his wife as dowry.
According to K.domaindlx webstie, Googad Citadel and the city of Golpayegan was located en route Silk Road. This is why the citadel was called Alikhani Citadel for some time. Golpayegan has a minaret which is about 18 meters high and it was used as a guide for passengers in the past.
The citadel was used as a caravansary for businessmen during peace time.
Aqa Mohammad Khan, the Qajar king, has also spent several days in the citadel while he was returning from one of his wars.
The citadel is currently used as a luxury hotel nowadays.
A room currently used as a special suite was designated for kings.
Doves acted as an alarm system for of the citadel so that special openings were considered for the doves to settle in the citadel’s wall and whenever they heard strange sound they also began to make noise.

The Role of Women in Ancient Persia

Women in Ancient Persia
The study of women’s status in ancient Persia, as mentioned in Zoroastrian texts such as the Avesta, shows that at a time when many women in the world were deprived of their basic rights, women enjoyed social and legal freedom and were treated with great respect.
According to Presstv, Avesta texts ask both genders to share responsibility and take decisions together. They are equally praised for their good deeds rather than their gender, wealth or power.
In ancient Persia, women could take the throne in case the king passed away and the crown prince was still a minor. One such woman was Pourandokht, the first Persian queen regent in Ctesiphon. Ancient scriptures describe her as a wise, just and good-natured woman who did her best to revive the Sassanid sovereignty.
Avestan texts address the issue of leadership and tell us that a ruler may be a woman as well as a man.
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Equal Responsibility
Zoroastrian texts advise parents to encourage their offspring to tread the path of knowledge and explain that women have an equal responsibility in the dissemination of knowledge and science.
“Whatever a man or a woman knows that is good and right, not only should they practice, but inform others to perform accordingly“. (Yasna 41/2)
Female members of the ancient Persian society were allowed to participate in religious ceremonies and sometimes even head the event as the priest.
Persian women were free to choose their spouse and Zoroaster urged them to make their decision based on wisdom.
Regarding young couples, they are advised to remain faithful, share their joy and sorrow, to adhere to the principles of love and to try to surpass one another in truth and righteousness.
Social Role
Reference has also been found on the role of Persian women in society. According to Greek historian and biographer Plutarch, Persian women were active members of their society and good fighters.
There were numerous female fighters among the ranks of the Sassanid army. They have been described as excellent and competent soldiers.
According to Pahlavi texts such as the Din-Kard, women could manage their property, represent their husbands at court, chair courtrooms and perform religious ceremonies.
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Ancient documents found at Persepolis, Susa and other Mesopotamian cities show that both noble and common women enjoyed economic independence in Persia.
They owned property, were involved in managing their assets, had employment opportunities and earned wages.
Although noble Persian women had to act within a defined framework set by the king, they also enjoyed economic independence and had control over their wealth.
Women were allowed to visit their estates and administer their assets individually or with the help of their husbands.
Ancient documents mention common women by the title bestowed upon them due to the nature of their work. The level of skill determined a female manager’s title.
The highest-ranking female workers were known as Arashshara (great chief). They managed female and male workers, and received the highest salary among their peers.
Historical documents show that male and female workers received equal pay and there were an equal number of workers from both genders.

Eram Garden Idyllic

Eram Garden Idyllic
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The idyllic Eram Garden (Bagh-e Eram) in Shiraz (in Fars province) is a striking location for visitors with a variety of plants, as well as a historical mansion.
Although the exact date of the garden’s construction is not known, historical evidence suggests it was constructed upon the order of Seljuk monarch Sultan Sanjar as many other gardens were established during his reign.
According to Presstv, like many other historical monuments in the southern city of Shiraz, it was restored and repaired by the Zand kings (1750-1794).
During the late Zand Dynasty, the garden was owned by Qashqaei tribal chiefs. A Qashqaei tribal chief, Mohammad Qoli Khan ordered the construction of the original mansion in the early eighteenth century, planting the garden with different trees, including cypress, pine, orange and persimmon trees.
During the reign of Nassereddin Shah of Qajar Dynasty, Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Nasir-ul Molk bought the gardens from Qashqaei tribes and constructed the present pavilion which was designed by a famous Shirazi architect, Mohammad Hassan.
The decoration of the pavilion was completed by Hassan Ali Khan’s son Abolqassem Khan who inherited the garden after his father.
The garden finally went to Abolqassem Khan’s son Abdullah Qavami who sold it to Qashqaei tribes once again.
The beautiful three-story pavilion of the garden was constructed according to Safavid and Qajar architectural style.
The lower story of the mansion has been particularly designed for relaxation during the hot summer days. The ceiling of this structure is beautifully adorned with colorful tiles. A small stream also passes through the story, connecting to a large pool in front of the building.
The middle story has a large veranda erected on two pillars behind which stands a magnificent hall. On the two sides of the hall are two corridors each having four rooms and two small terraces. The front sides of the pillars are decorated with tiles showing images of horse-riders and flowers.
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The upper story consists of a large hall whose windows open to the main veranda. It is also surrounded by two corridors leading to two terraces.
On the entablature of the building there are three arched (semi-circular, crescent-shaped) pediments ornamented with tilework.
The middle pediment, being larger than the other two, shows Nassereddin Shah (a famous Qajar king) riding on the back of a white horse.
Around this picture, some scenes based on storied from the works of Ferdowsi and Nezami (two famous poets) can be seen.
One of the small pediments represents an image of Darius the Great (the founder of the Achaemenid Dynasty) as represented in Persepolis monuments.
And finally the third pediment illustrates a deer being hunted by a panther.
The garden with its beautiful flowers, refreshing air, tall cypresses (a stately, beautiful cypress tree there known as sarv-e naz which is said to go back to 3,000 years ago) and fragrant myrtles is a major tourist destination particularly during spring.
Now a property of Shiraz University, it has been turned into a botanical garden and is open to the public as a museum. The mansion has also been assigned to the university’s Faculty of Law.
It has been named after a legendary garden called Eram in southern Arabia, built upon an order of Shaddad, an Arab king, to compete with Paradise.

June 4 marks the 17th death anniversary of the Imam Khomeini

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A view of Imam Khomeini Mausoleum in Tehran. June 4 marks the 17th death anniversary of the late founder of the Islamic Revolution. (Photo by Mahmoud Hajmohammadi)

Sunday, May 25, 2008

The Arg-e Karim Khan in Shiraz A Legacy of Zandieh Era

Arg-e Karim Khan A Legacy of Zandieh Era
Arg-e Karim Khan (Citadel of Karim Khan) was the palace of Karim Khan, a king of the Zandieh Dynasty. Built in 1180 AH, it is located to the northeast of Shiraz near the Shohada Square.
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For building his palace, Karim Khan invited the most skilled stonecutters, architects and artists of his time. He also bought the best type of construction materials from different cities of the country and also from abroad.
According to Tachar website, the citadel has an area of 4,000 square meters and is in the center of a compound extending over an area of 12,800 square meters.
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The architectural style used in this edifice is both military and residential, as the citadel was the residence of the king and had to have high security. Hence, the exterior walls, which essentially resemble the walls of a garrison, are quite tall. The citadel consists of four high walls connected by four 14 meters round brick towers. The lower section of the exterior walls is three meters in width. It is shaped like an incomplete cone and its width at the top reaches 2.8 meters. In the upper section of the wall, there is a small chamber, which housed soldiers and guards.
The palace’s entrance hall is rather large. It has one door which opens to the horse stable and another door, which opens toward the roof. Compared to similar buildings, the hall does not have many decorations. There were special rooms for the groom, which were destroyed throughout centuries.
There is a small courtyard adjacent to each of the four towers of the building. In one of them, there is a special room for the king’s servants. In the main courtyard, which covers an area of 93.6 meters by 12.8 meters, there is a stairway to the second floor.
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The citadel is rectangular, on each side of which is a 15-meter brick tower. Between the northern, southern and western sides is a large balcony, which consists of a hall and two large chambers. In front of each of the three balconies there are two sturdy stone columns, each of them nine meters high. As is customary in the architectural style of the Zandieh era, a four-sided pond was constructed in front of each of the balconies.
The eastern side of the citadel is a high wall in the middle of which the entrance door is located. On top of the entrance gate there is a beautiful painting depicting a scene from the battle between Rostam and the White Demon (mythical personalities of the masterpiece of poet Ferdowsi, ’Shahnameh’ or ’book of the kings’). Colorful enameled tiles are used in the painting. This is a feature added during the Qajar era. The shah’s private bath and the residence of his bodyguards are situated behind the eastern wall.
The walls of the quarters are made of stone and baked clay is used in other parts of the building. Interior decorations include marbles of Yazd and Tabriz and large mirrors bought from Europe. Herbal colors are used in the ceilings’ ornaments.
During the Qajar period, the citadel was used as the governor’s seat. It was converted to a prison during the reign of Reza Shah, the first Pahlavi monarch. Renovation of the building in contemporary times started in 1977.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Abgineh Museum

Abgineh Museum
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Abgineh or glass museum in the city of Tehran was the residence and office of former Iranian Prime Minister “Ahmad Qavam“ (1876-1955 AD) until 1951. Later, the Egyptian Embassy in Tehran took over the building and handed it over to Iran’s Bank Tejarat.
According to Allmuseums website, since 1976 a group of Iranian and Austrian architects refurbished the building and converted it into a museum which was opened on 1989.The decorations of the building include brickworks of the exterior facade and interior plaster cutouts, mirror works and inlays.
As one of the Iranian famous museums, Abgineh Museum comprises several halls, workshops and a library. Artworks and handicrafts exhibited in this museum include three collections of porcelains, glassworks and crystals.
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Porcelains
The magnificent collection of porcelains exhibits a thorough history of ceramics and porcelains made in Iran from the dawn of history until today. It also provides a bulk of information about the evolution of porcelain and its production technique. Major centers of porcelain making in Iran, including Kashan, Rey, Qazvin, Gorgan and Neishabour are also introduced.
Visiting this museum, you learn about simple and colorful glazed porcelains and the art of decorating them with calligraphic designs, paintings of plants and animals and geometrical designs over and under the layer of the glaze.
Some of these porcelains enjoy paintings on the basis of proverbs and old mythical and folk tales.
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Glassworks
Glassworks exhibited in the museum date back to the first and second millennia BC until modern times. In this section the glass works production technique including the sand molds, cutting and pressing equipment are introduced. The painting method on the glass is also exhibited.

Crystals
On the ground floor hall of the museum, crystal and flint glass samples of 18th and 19th centuries are exhibited. All these samples are mostly cut and made in Europe.
Specialized Library in the northwestern courtyard of the museum, the newly constructed building of the library is visible. This specialized library contains almost 4,000 books on archeology and the history of art. A hall is also allocated to exhibit the glassworks and porcelains made by contemporary artists and craftsmen. Workshops to teach production of glassworks, crystal cuttings, porcelains and their painting are also provided.

Qara Kelisa Awaiting UNESCO Registration

Qara Kelisa Awaiting UNESCO Registration
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Qara Church, near Chaldoran city in West Azarbaijan province, has been proposed by Iran for UNESCO registration, deputy head of West Azarbaijan’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization said on Monday.
Alizadeh also told reporters that the church is one of the biggest historical holy sites in the world and deserves to be enlisted for registration as an international heritage by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), reported IRNA.
Qara Church (St. Tataous Cathedral) is the first Christian monument and Tataous had been one of Jesus Christ’s (PBUH) evangelists.
Badarak rites are annually held at the church in summer and attended by foreign Armenians and Armenians residing in Iran.
He said that natural events have caused damages to the church that has been renovated.
Qara means black in Azeri language and Qara Kelisa means Black Church.

Iranian/Persian Brick

Brick Evolution
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With all its inevitable imperfections, brick and pattern begins with the preliminary observation of a renewed popularity of the architectural use of bricks, in the context of which craftsmen and artists have been able to construct walls, adorned with patterns derived from their creative minds and that these patterns are different from those used in the past eras, as to constitute a class of their own.
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According to Caroun website, since a long time ago, bricks have been inseparable elements of wall construction, thus acquiring a particular status in the history of architecture as the building material par excellence. Ever since they were invented in Babylon, the manufacture of bricks, whether sun-dried or fired, became common practice, developing steadfastly throughout the world.
Clay is available in most regions of the planet, providing the best building material, which all of the people soon put to good use, first mixing it with water and trampling it into a uniform paste, and then molding it into rectangular blocks, which they left to dry in the sun and later on took to kilns for firing. The hard, durable latter form could be readily used in building houses or other monuments. Thus, the simplest building materials available to rich and poor alike were none but raw bricks (Khesht) and baked bricks (Ajor).
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History of Brick Making
It is generally believed that the art of brick making originated about 5000 BC. The inhabitants of the banks of Nile had noticed that the layer of alluvial deposits left behind every year by the tumultuous waters soon dried and cracked into large and small ’cakes’, about four to five centimeters thick, which could be used in construction of walls.
Thanks to the eagerness of man’s mind for progress and innovation, it was a first step in casting mud into regularly shaped molds letting the blocks dry hard in the sun and utilizing the resulting bricks instead.
And soon, searching means for making these more solid, cattle dung was mixed with the clay mud; later on, in order to prevent the bricks from cracking, while losing their water contents, cut straw was added in about the same proportion as clay with its myriad blades acting as tiny “reinforcement rods“ (the straw was first dipped in water, which softened in fibers, making the mixing process easier on skin).
Ever since baked bricks were invented, they constituted one of the principal building materials which were soon used in huge quantities, in all parts of buildings.
Scholars unanimously believe that the undisputed master artisans in the field were from East. Those early architects faced an arduous task, when they came to adopt appropriate dimensions and proportions for the molds to be used.
In other words, this was an artistic problem, which required reflection. The alluvial “cakes“ of the Nile banks had been used as such, roughly stacked atop one another, whereas in making bricks, whether raw or baked, thought was to be given to the proper alignment and interlocking of individual bricks, to their resistance under burden, etc.
The best model adopted was the cubic two-widths-long, which was made in various sizes all over the world. As for their thickness, this varied in the course of time. At first, bricks tended to be quite large, and proportionally very thick, but gradually became thinner. These were in turn subdivided into various fragments, each bearing a name of its own. The form of bricks varied from one region to another. Moreover, for want of widespread literacy, these appellations were propagated orally, undergoing inevitable alterations in different regions. Eventually, they were transferred from one generation to another. It was only when the cultures of various countries could be recorded in written form that they became uniformly standardized.

Bricks in Persian Architecture
Iranian architects also made the best use of bricks. In Susa (Shush), the prosperous capital of Elamites, brick architecture soon prevailed. The archeological excavations made on this pre-historic site have uncovered illustrated porcelain, which speak to the long-lasting importance of the region as well as clay tablets dating back to 1700 BC which include various documents and contracts.
Darius the Great, of the Achaemenid dynasty had the Palace of Susa erected in 494 BC. This brick monument was an expression of the great civilization, which had arisen in western Iran and transfigured the country. Thus it appears that, throughout the world, bricks have long formed the base of every building.
Situated in semi-tropical region, with average temperature around 40 degrees Celsius, Iran displays sharp variations of temperature between its northern and southern regions and therefore building materials have to be chosen in accordance with the local climate.
An unfortunate trend of covering the facade of buildings with stone slabs became popular all over Iran for a while, regardless of their low resistance to temperature variations, which exposed them to rapidly hot weather in summer and freezing cold in winter. Used empirically, with low level of technical know-how, these proved unfit for the purpose.
Meanwhile, relying on the progress of technology, manufacturers active in various fields began experimenting with all sources of natural and synthetic materials with which to construct buildings. But their products, notwithstanding the propaganda failed to yield good results and were soon abandoned. And yet again bricks, the traditional building material of every land, replaced them all. Thus, after a while, a renewed interest in bricks appeared, but this time, the artists’ tastes had evolved. Brick facades proliferated in various cities, and architects were able to give vent to their creativity in decorating interior and exterior of the buildings with this material.
Since ancient times, bricks have essentially been molded blocks of clay mixed with water and eventually hardened by the fire. But, the evolution of this process varied from country to country. In Iran, bricks were first baked in cylindrical pit kilns, which were soon replaced by tunnel kilns. These remained in use until the advent of modern technology, when all kinds of quite different baking methods were used.
It is also noteworthy that by relying on advanced chemical technologies, efforts are being made for producing bricks of desired colors, which also can be more solid and resistant to corrosion.

Gardens Paradise Of Persia

Gardens Paradise Of Persia
The symbol of eternal life for ancient Iranians was a tree and a stream flowing beneath it.
Iranians considered tree planting a sacred occupation and spent a lot of time in their gardens, Press TV reported.
Historical accounts tell us about gardens named paradise and filled with all things fair and good that the earth can bring forth.


The Persian paradise garden gets its name from the old Persian word Pairadaeza, meaning an enclosed area. Subsequently, the English word paradise has its roots in the old Persian word Pairadaeza. The Achemenid idea of an earthly paradise eventually penetrated other cultures and was later translated into Latin as Hortus Conclusus, the enclosed garden, which came to symbolize the Garden of Eden.
The first writer to make reference to a Persian garden using the word ’paradise’ was the Greek narrator Xenophon. The word appears in Avestan text only in the form of Pairadaeza.
The Old Testament describes pleasure gardens as sacred enclosures rising in terraces planted with trees and shrubs, forming an artificial hill such as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Not only were palaces and temples enclosed within gardens, but every city had private and sometimes public gardens which were open to all during Persian New Year celebrations.
Persian gardens were places where shade and cool water could be privately enjoyed. They were places of spiritual solace, meeting places for friends and formal adjuncts to the houses or palaces they surrounded.

Function
For more than three thousand years, the Persian garden has been the focus of Iranian imagination, influencing the country’s art as well as literature. The lavish use of flowers in such gardens inspired the weaving of floral designs into what are known as garden-carpets.
Persian gardens influenced garden design around the world and became the foundation of Islamic and later European garden traditions, an example of which can be seen in the Mogul gardens of India namely the Taj Mahal in Agra.
The paved and tiled Andalusia courtyards with arcades, pools and fountains testify to their Persian roots.

It is reputed that the main design patterns for the Versailles Gardens has replicated the outlines of the paradise gardens of Pasargad and provided inspiration for the gardens of the Louvre.
According to historical accounts, gardens were primarily hunting-parks with fruit-trees grown for food. The bronze works dating back to 1000 BC unearthed in Lorestan province are adorned with trees next to streams.
In the first phase of excavations at ruins of palaces in Persepolis the gardens were ignored. However, the scientific excavations later on proved the presence of gardens.
Palaces scattered according to no specific rules and raised above three terraces with large open stairways brought to the mind of garden archaeologists the simplest form of Persian garden; a rectangle of water, with enough of a flow to give it life and movement, and a raised platform to view it from.

Ancient Gardens
Further excavation in Pasargad led to discovery of the first monumental garden, at least in western Asia, securing a place for Persian gardens in the history of garden design.
Archaeologists discovered garden accords with the traditional Persian garden plan known today as Chahar Bagh.
Considering the fact that the Achemenid monarch ’Cyrus the Great’ was known as the “King of the Four Quarters“, it can be asserted that later-day Persian gardens owed their origins to the novel garden plan of Cyrus.
The Chahar Bagh plan is a quadrangular/rectangular canal pattern in which waterways or pathways are used to quarter the garden, a layout intended to bring to mind the four rivers of the Garden of Eden.
All Persian gardens have vertical lines in their design, a central structure built on the highest point of the garden, a main waterway, a large pool in front of the structure to reflect the building, and a close relationship with nature.
Earth, water, vegetation and atmosphere are the most important elements in gardens. Underground water canals called Qanats (aqueducts) irrigated the gardens which were often built on slopes to facilitate the natural flow of water or create artificial waterfalls.
Trees and flowers are planted in gardens based on their usefulness; therefore, a Persian garden has more fruit trees, then shade trees and finally flowers.
Achaemenid inscriptions bear witness to the importance of symmetrical designs in Persian gardens. The Chahar Bagh School stresses the necessity of planting trees and flowers in rows.
Fruit trees bring to mind rebirth and spring; strictly aligned sycamore trees, the symbol of eternal life, provide shade while roses, jasmines and other flowers intoxicate people with their heavenly scent.
The most basic feature of a Persian garden is an area, which excludes the wildness of nature, includes the tended greenery of the garden and makes elaborate use of water in canals, ponds, rills and sometimes fountains.
A recurring theme in many gardens is the contrast between the formal garden layout and the informality provided by free-growing plants. Persians placed great importance on having their tombs surrounded by woodlands and gardens. According to historical accounts, the tomb of ’Cyrus the Great’ was enclosed by four gardens and a grove.
This tradition has continued to the present time and can be seen at the graves of prominent Iranian figures such as the poets Hafez and Sa’di in Shiraz.
The resting place of Hafez, a famous tourism hub, pleases the eyes of visitors with its cypresses, poplars, cedars flowering shrubs and rose bushes.
Persian gardens are pleasances of water, meadow, trees and flowers in which buildings take a subordinate position.
To this day, the size and beauty of these gardens continues to amaze visitors sitting under the shade of cypress trees to enjoy looking at the sky reflected in the central pool while breathing the sweet aroma of beautiful flowers.

Sabalan A Paradise Mountain

Sabalan
A Paradise Mountain
    
Mount Sabalan, Iran

Azarbaijan plateau is a mountainous area located to the northwest of the Iranian plateau. Ardebil province is situated to the east of the plateau.
Due to its mountainous terrain and being situated en route Mediterranean air currents, Ardebil has regions covered with snow nine months a year and various springs.
According to Persian daily Iran, the huge and volcanic Mount Sabalan comprises several mountains such as Saein, Narmiq and Qooshadagh. Sabalan is cone-shaped. The main summit of the mountain (4,811 meters) ranks second after Damavand.
Sabalan is also called ’Savalan’ in Azari language. This mountain range has been of paramount importance since a long time ago. The people of Ardebil have been viewed as very brave since the time Aryans migrated to Persia.
    

Sabalan’s history has been full of ups and downs. The grandeur of Sabalan has been outlined in the folkloric literature of the people of Azarbaijan. One version of the folkloric literature of the region cites Sabalan as one of the seven large mountains of paradise. History also recalls that mausoleums of many pious men and a few prophets are located in Ardebil. It is said that over 2,000 years ago prophets climbed the mount for the purpose of fulfilling their rituals and praying. This is why a large number of nomadic tribes and villagers climb the mount all the way up to its summit every year in order to pray and thank the God Almighty for His blessings.
In the eyes of the regional people, especially local tribesmen, Sabalan is not just a summer resort or a pasture, but rather a symbol of courage and pride and also a shelter for the oppressed people.
Based on historical and geographical resources, the ancient prophet Zoroaster, who was born in Azarbaijan in 640 BC, left his birthplace to seek shelter in Sabalan at the age of 30. He stayed in the mountain for 10 years in order to pray. Meanwhile, historians suggest different Zoroastrian tribes, such as Goor, Kavoor and Gir, sought shelter in one of the peripheral summits of Sabalan, called ’Hezar Magh’.
    

Several objects d’art of Zoroastrians, such as a golden chalice, which was used for drinking the lake’s water, have been found in Sabalan’s summit. Other artistic works found in the summit include spoons and needles made from bones, wooden combs, objects in the shape of knives made from bones and a small inscription. These works were scattered all over the summit.
Furthermore, bas-reliefs and stone statues of animals have been found around the summit, all of which hint at the ancient history of the mount.
The exact history of Sabalan is not clear yet. It is high time more comprehensive researches were conducted on the history of the ancient mount.

Zaki Khani Caravansary in Zarqan Renovated

Caravansary Renovated
In line with the drive to renovate Fars province’s historical and cultural buildings, Zaki Khani Caravansary, located in Zarqan, has been renovated.
Zarqan Municipality and the provincial Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department co-sponsored the renovation.
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The caravansary has one square-shaped courtyard. It seems that it originally had four balconies. However, today only the western balcony remains, the Persian daily ’Iran’ reported.
There are four halls around the building. The architectural style used shows that symmetry was heeded by its builders in the most pertinent manner. This is quite evident in the design of the decorative arches of the edifice.
The brickworks of the building are reminiscent of the architectural style prevalent from the era of Seljuk to Safavid. The building’s ceiling is still in a good shape despite the passage of a few centuries. The main construction materials used are brick and stone. Plaster is used for the interior decorations. The caravansary was registered as national heritage in 2006.

Achaemenid Dynasty

Achaemenid Dynasty
The Achaemenid dynasty arose from the ashes of the Elamite Empire in the 7th century BC. After the Elamite stronghold of Anshan had fallen to the Assyrians, it was King Teispes of Persia (reigned 675-640 BC) who took control of the city. It was his father, Achaemenes, who had trained and organized the army that made this possible and gave his name to the dynasty.
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King of Babylon
According to Iranvisitors website, Cambyses (reigned 600-559 BC), the grandson of Teispes, already ruled over a sizeable kingdom when he married a Median princess and united the two royal lines. Thus, when his son, Cyrus II (reigned 559-530 BC) overcame the Median army of Astyages in 550 BC, he spared the Median capital of Ecbatana and was easily accepted as ruler of the combined lands and forces of both Persia and Media. On the site where he overcame Astyages, Cyrus established the Persian capital of Pasargad.
From this stage, Cyrus II began a conquest that resulted in the largest empire of the ancient world. The empire remained intact for two centuries until the successors of Alexander of Macedonia divided it among themselves.
Starting in the west, Cyrus halted the advance of the Lydian forces of Croesus and gained control of large parts of Asia Minor including the Lydian capital of Sardis and the wealthy Ionian cities, thus gaining access to the Aegean Sea.
Moving toward west, Cyrus captured Bactria, Sogdia, campaigned in India and seized Syria and Palestine. He took the city of Babylon in 539 BC, naming himself ’King of Babylon’.
Under Cyrus, the conquered nations were given a considerable amount of autonomy; some kingdoms were obliged to provide conscripts.
Cyrus died while battling in Central Asia. He left the throne to his son Cambyses II (reigned 528-522 BC). His body was cremated at Pasargad in 528 BC where his original tombstone is still lingering.
The Bisotoun inscription tells us that Cambyses, fearing the possibility of rebellion, had his own brother killed in secret before embarking on his Egyptian expedition.
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He is also said to have exhumed the corpse of the last pharaoh of Egypt and violated it in unspeakable ways despite his efforts to appear as an Egyptian pharaoh, just as Cyrus had presented himself as the King of Babylon.
Cambyses II was not, however, to return from his Egyptian exploits. In 522 BC, news of a rebellion spread throughout the kingdom and he was forced to cut short his stay in Egypt. As written in the Bisotoun inscriptions and the histories of Herodotus, a certain Magian priest named Gaumata usurped the Achaemenid throne, claiming that he was Smerdis, the son of Cyrus that Cambyses had put to death.
The absence of the true king and the repealing of three years of taxes and military service by Gaumata made it easy for the impostor and his allies to take power.
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King of the Empire
Hearing the news, Cambyses began his journey homeward but only reached as far as Syria where he apparently died either of an accidental wound caused by his unsheathed sword or deliberately by his own hand. On his death, a general named Darius took over the leadership of the returning expedition and led the army against the forces of Gaumata.
Gaumata reigned for seven months before he was surprisingly killed by Darius and six of his allies at a Median stronghold to which the seat of government had been moved. This moving of the capital and the repealing of taxes and military service suggests that Gaumata was a Mede with little attachment to Persia.
After some debate, Darius was crowned as king of the empire. The reign of Darius I (reigned 522-486 BC) was an enlightened one. He enacted reforms of government, taxes and coinage and had roads and granaries built Ð all of which served to vitalize the Persian state and usher in an era of prosperity. The construction of new capital cities at Persepolis and Susa also date back to era of Darius I.
During wartime, Darius led expeditions eastward to India and westward as far as the Danube, waging a series of ultimately unsuccessful campaigns against the Greeks. Neither did his successors, Xerxes I (reigned 486-465 BC) and Ardeshir I (reigned 465-424 BC), managed to defeat the Greek army. It was not until Darius III (reigned 335-330 BC) that the Achaemenids succeeded against the Greeks and it was Darius III who was eventually defeated by the conquering army of Alexander of Macedonia.
At its peak, the Achaemenid Empire stretched from Pakistan in the East to the borders of Greece in the west and from the southern steppes of Russia to Egypt, Libya and the Arabian subcontinent.
Achaemenid Empire was the largest empire of the ancient world. A total of 28 different nations lived under one rule and spoke in the international language of Aramaic.

The Age of Elamites

The Age of Elamites
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The Iranian Plateau did not experience the rise of urban civilization in the late 4th and early 3rd millennia on the Mesopotamia, but the lowland Khuzestan where the Elamite Civilization emerged.
Geographically, Elam included more than Khuzestan; it was a combination of the lowlands and the immediate highland areas to the north and to the east. Elamite strength was based on an ability to hold these various areas together under a central government, which permitted the maximum interchange of the natural resources unique to each region.
According to Iranvisitor website, the Age of Elamites is divided by historians into three distinct periods:
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1. Old Elam (2600-1900 BC)
Earthen tablets record the names of two dynasties dating from this period, the Awan dynasty (2600-2100 BC) and the Simash dynasty (2100-1900 BC). Wars with Mesopotamia, particularly the city of Ur, had already begun, both sides wishing to safeguard their access to raw materials. Records state that the Sumerian king Shulgi of the 3rd dynasty of Ur (created 2094-2047 BC) captured Susa but Elam eventually rebelled and in turn overthrew the Sumerians.
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2. Middle Elam (1900-1100 BC)
Wars between Elam and Sumer continued during this period. In 1746 BC the world’s first lawmaker, Hammurabi, crushed Elam and captured Susa. Before long, however, his son, Samsuiluna, was badly defeated by King Kutir Nakhunte I of the Elamites that was remembered 1,000 years later in an inscription of the Assyrian king, Ashurbanipal.
In the 13th century BC another king of this period, Untash Gal, built the city of Choghazanbil on the banks of the Ulai River. The kings of Elam, known as ’god-rulers’, had strong links with religion and would come to the city for important religious ceremonies.
The relative weakness of the Assyrian Empire at the beginning of the 13th century BC inspired King Shutruk-Nahhunte to move to Babylon. He captured the city and seized the Stela inscribed with the laws of Hammurabi, removing it to Susa where it was excavated some 3,000 years later.
However, Elamite power in central Mesopotamia was never well consolidated and King Nebuchadnezzar I of Babylon (created 1124-1103 BC) eventually resulted in the defeat of Elamites that effectively brought an end to the Middle Elam period.

3. Late Elam (800-620 BC)
Of the three centuries between the end of Middle Elam and the beginning of this new period, we know nothing at all. By the time Elam reappears in the archeological record, the central authority of Susa has receded and separately ruled principalities are in the ascendancy.
The 8th and 7th centuries BC saw a new wave of Assyrian expansion and attempts by Elam to interfere with Mesopotamian affairs, often in alliance with Babylon. However, limited successes in this policy were not enough to prevent Assyrian advances. Meaningful central authority had almost totally collapsed by the time the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal destroyed Susa. He went on to destroy Choghazanbil, killing almost the entire population of the city.