Shushtar is a city in Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran. It’s situated at the foot of Zagros Mountains, about 90 km north of Ahvaz. In most historical periods from Sassanid to Pahlavi, this city was the capital of Khuzestan province. Shushtar owes much of its fame to the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System located there. This system has been registered in UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritage Sites in 2009, referred to “as a masterpiece of creative genius.” Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, inscribed as a masterpiece of creative genius, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Kârun one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over an area of 40,000 ha. known as Mianâb (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salâsel Castel, the operation centre of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, damns, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the know-how of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as more recent Nabatean expertise and Roman building influence. The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System demonstrates outstanding universal value as in its present form, it dates from the 3rd century CE, probably on older bases from the 5th century BCE. It is complete, with numerous functions, and large-scale, making it exceptional. The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System is a homogeneous hydraulic system, designed globally and completed in the 3rd century CE. It is
Shushtar is a city in Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran. It’s situated at the foot of Zagros Mountains, about 90 km north of Ahvaz. In most historical periods from Sassanid to Pahlavi, this city was the capital of Khuzestan province. Shushtar owes much of its fame to the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System located there. This system has been registered in UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritage Sites in 2009, referred to “as a masterpiece of creative genius.”
Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, inscribed as a masterpiece of creative genius, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Kârun one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over an area of 40,000 ha. known as Mianâb (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salâsel Castel, the operation centre of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, damns, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the know-how of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as more recent Nabatean expertise and Roman building influence.
The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System demonstrates outstanding universal value as in its present form, it dates from the 3rd century CE, probably on older bases from the 5th century BCE. It is complete, with numerous functions, and large-scale, making it exceptional. The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System is a homogeneous hydraulic system, designed globally and completed in the 3rd century CE. It is as rich in its diversity of civil engineering structures and its constructions as in the diversity of its uses (urban water supply, mills, irrigation, river transport, and defensive system). The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System testifies to the heritage and the synthesis of earlier Elamite and Mesopotamian knowhow; it was probably influenced by the Petra dam and tunnel and by Roman civil engineering. The Shushtar hydraulic system, in its ensemble and most particularly the Shâdorvân Grand Weir (bridge-dam), has been considered a Wonder of the World not only by the Persians but also by the Arab-Muslims at the peak of their civilization. The Gargar canal is a veritable artificial watercourse which made possible the construction of a new town and the irrigation of a vast plain, at the time semi-desert. The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System sits in an urban and rural landscape specific to the expression of its value.
Criterion (i): The Shushtar Hydraulic System is testimony to a remarkably accomplished and early overall vision of the possibilities afforded by diversion canals and large weir-dams for land development. It was designed and completed in the 3rd century CE for sustainable operation and is still in use today. It is a unique and exceptional ensemble in terms of its technical diversity and its completeness that testifies to human creative genius. Criterion (ii): The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System is a synthesis of diverse techniques brought together to form a remarkably complete and large-scale ensemble. It has benefited from the ancient expertise of the Elamites and Mesopotamians in canal irrigation, and then that of the Nabateans; Roman technicians also influenced its construction. Its many visitors marvelled at it and were in turn inspired. It testifies to the exchange of considerable influences in hydraulic engineering and its application throughout antiquity and the Islamic period under the various Iranian dynasties.
Shushtar is one of the oldest and most beautifully decorated tourist attractions in Iran. Shushtar’s water sculptures are one of the oldest places in history. I was excited to see such a system that was built with such an idea in ancient times. A relaxing and beautiful place.
Afsaneseylan
Criterion (v): Shushtar is a unique and exceptionally complete example of hydraulic techniques developed during ancient times to aid the occupation of semi-desert lands. By diverting a river flowing down the mountains, using large-scale civil engineering structures and the creation of canals, it made possible multiple uses for the water across a vast territory: urban water supply, agricultural irrigation, fish farming, mills, transport, defence system, etc. It testifies to a technical culture dating back eighteen centuries serving the sustainable development of a human society, in harmony with its natural and urban environment.
The integrity of the hydraulic footprint is good, but its functional integrity compared with the original model is only partial and reduced, notably for the dams; it remains good for irrigation and water supply. The authenticity of elements reduced to archaeological remains is certain, but has been affected by 20th century works and materials so far as the civil structures and sites still in use are concerned. Efforts directed to the restoration of attributes that demonstrate authenticity must be pursued. Management and protection requirements The components of the management plan are satisfactory, but they need to be improved in terms of the interpretation of the sites and the involvement of the local population.
The Persian Qanat: Travel to the Mysterious Corridors Throughout the arid regions of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlements are supported by the ancient Persian Qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometers. The eleven Qanats representing this system include rest areas for workers, water reservoirs and watermills. There is nothing strange about Qasabeh Qanat of Gonabad, and it may seem that the mystery of this place is a great joke that has brought many people from a distance. But with a little care we understand that what is before us is not just a simple Qanat, like many of the country's aqueducts, but also the largest, longest and oldest aqueduct of the world. An aqueduct with dark and black corridors that still provides water for the city, but nobody has ever come across. Nobody has any idea of the end of this aqueduct and its only length is 35 kilometers. The aqueducts with a depth of more than 300 meters showcased the blue masterpiece of the world since 2700 years ago. The Miracle of Persia: Persian Qanat Astonishingly, the structure of this aqueduct has caused its name to be registered by the Cultural Heritage Organization in 2000 with the number 2963 in the national list of Iran and at the Istanbul Summit on July 24, 1959 in the list of works registered at UNESCO. Persian Qanats provide exceptional testimony to cultural traditions and civilizations in desert areas with an arid climate. The Iranians rip the foothills in search of water, and when they find any, by means of Qanats they transfer this water to a distance of 50 or 60 kilometers or sometimes further downstream. No nation in the world can compete with the Iranians in
The Persian Qanat: Travel to the Mysterious Corridors
Throughout the arid regions of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlements are supported by the ancient Persian Qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometers. The eleven Qanats representing this system include rest areas for workers, water reservoirs and watermills. There is nothing strange about Qasabeh Qanat of Gonabad, and it may seem that the mystery of this place is a great joke that has brought many people from a distance. But with a little care we understand that what is before us is not just a simple Qanat, like many of the country’s aqueducts, but also the largest, longest and oldest aqueduct of the world. An aqueduct with dark and black corridors that still provides water for the city, but nobody has ever come across. Nobody has any idea of the end of this aqueduct and its only length is 35 kilometers. The aqueducts with a depth of more than 300 meters showcased the blue masterpiece of the world since 2700 years ago.
The Miracle of Persia: Persian Qanat
Astonishingly, the structure of this aqueduct has caused its name to be registered by the Cultural Heritage Organization in 2000 with the number 2963 in the national list of Iran and at the Istanbul Summit on July 24, 1959 in the list of works registered at UNESCO.
Persian Qanats provide exceptional testimony to cultural traditions and civilizations in desert areas with an arid climate.
The Iranians rip the foothills in search of water, and when they find any, by means of Qanats they transfer this water to a distance of 50 or 60 kilometers or sometimes further downstream.
No nation in the world can compete with the Iranians in recovering and transferring groundwater. ‘ITwy make use of groundwater in irrigating their farmlands, and they construct qanats almost everywhere and always succeed in extracting groundwater.
Jean Chardin, 15th and 16th century
Enter to the Water Masterpiece of the World
To enter these corridors, you must trust the stairs and go down deep. The strange and mysterious world of the Persian Qanat brings the corridors of fear for you. The holes on the walls were once home to torch lamps and other lighting fixtures, and today they are falling asleep along the roots of the trees on the wall of the aqueduct. The color is black that looks very much here. The halls, which are only 40 percent available, are unclear what’s going on in 60 percent of the rest! The breeze that flow through the Qanat and the water sound that resonates with the uncovered mysteries of the aqueduct give us a new experience.
Perhaps the words to describe this amazing aquarium are low. The hallways dating back to 2,700 years old, and perhaps the reason why people say the construction of this aqueduct cannot be human work! Perhaps demons have come and made it here and gone!
The Mysteries of Qasabeh Qanat
Throughout Iran, wells and aqueducts have an important role in supplying the water needed by humans. But Qasabeh Qanat is much more intelligent than what you’ve ever seen. What’s in Gonabad is the clever appearance of the combination of wells and aqueducts, which are formed horizontally and vertically and preserved to this day. Two types of wells are dug in this amazing aqueduct. Some are shallow and vertical, and others are deep and steep.
Now imagine how in ancient times, with its limited and basic facilities, and with which calculations such accurate water flows from the depths of the earth to its surface? Perhaps there was a strange force in its makers! Maybe we’re a bit unfair and we’ve underestimated our human and intelligence!
This aqueduct is the most abundant aqueduct in the world, which feeds 150 liters per second.
Visiting Qasabeh Qanat is not just a visit to a Persian Qanat. The journey is a historic one that says its mysteries to you. In each part of the Qanat, intelligence can be seen that the Qanat makers create these corridors. Get good memories during to visit this aqueduct.
Takht-e Soleyman Located 45 km northeast of Takab, it is an ancient site that has been building holy structures around it since 1600 years ago. The fifth Bahram Vassan Sassanid built the site as a city and 70 years after it, Ghobad first expanded its buildings until it reached its peak at the time of Khosrow Anoshirvan Sassanid. The discovery of the signs and remnants of human presence from the first millennium BC to the 11th century AH in this 12-hectare area reveals the mysteries of the city to experts. For a long time, humans used this collection as a habitation, and religious beliefs about it illustrate the importance of the city throughout history. Takht-e Soleyman is believed to be the birthplace of Zoroaster, and the construction of Azargoshnasb Fire Temple in this area as the most respected Zoroastrian temple during the Sassanian period can be a confirmation of this belief. This temple was important in the socio-political life of the Sassanids, and its immortal flames were not extinguished for seven centuries, as a symbol of the authority of Zoroastrianism. Some people believe that the city has been the site of the holy grail of Christ, which he drinks on its last night of life. This cup is famous for the Grail Cup, but no trace of it has been seen on Takht-e Soleyman.The folk belief of this city is considered to be the location of Solomon's prophet, and points out that extraterrestrial forces, based on the orders of Hazrat Solomon, built massive structures that human beings cannot afford to create. This collection was registered in 1316 with the number 318 in the National Iranian Book List. The name of this work is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Takht-e Soleyman; A City Full of Treasure in the Depths
Takht-e Soleyman Located 45 km northeast of Takab, it is an ancient site that has been building holy structures around it since 1600 years ago. The fifth Bahram Vassan Sassanid built the site as a city and 70 years after it, Ghobad first expanded its buildings until it reached its peak at the time of Khosrow Anoshirvan Sassanid.
The discovery of the signs and remnants of human presence from the first millennium BC to the 11th century AH in this 12-hectare area reveals the mysteries of the city to experts. For a long time, humans used this collection as a habitation, and religious beliefs about it illustrate the importance of the city throughout history.
Takht-e Soleyman is believed to be the birthplace of Zoroaster, and the construction of Azargoshnasb Fire Temple in this area as the most respected Zoroastrian temple during the Sassanian period can be a confirmation of this belief. This temple was important in the socio-political life of the Sassanids, and its immortal flames were not extinguished for seven centuries, as a symbol of the authority of Zoroastrianism.
Some people believe that the city has been the site of the holy grail of Christ, which he drinks on its last night of life. This cup is famous for the Grail Cup, but no trace of it has been seen on Takht-e Soleyman. The folk belief of this city is considered to be the location of Solomon’s prophet, and points out that extraterrestrial forces, based on the orders of Hazrat Solomon, built massive structures that human beings cannot afford to create.
This collection was registered in 1316 with the number 318 in the National Iranian Book List. The name of this work is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Takht-e Soleyman; A City Full of Treasure in the Depths of the Lake
The myths of this mysterious lake are not one in two. There are many stories in many language circles that reveal this phenomenon much more complex than a typical lake. The most famous legend is the existence of countless treasures in the depths of the lake. Endless treasures that have been thrown to the lake throughout history. Stories that have led many to the lake, but it should be noted that access to such treasures does not look so safe.
This legendary city (Takht-e Soleyman) underneath the lake contains many objects with signs of them. It is interesting to know that in none of the historical periods there is no finding of these treasures
Ring of Solomon the Prophet
The most controversial treasure that may exist on the lake floor is Solomon’s ring. According to folk beliefs, the whole collection of Takht-e Soleyman was made by super powers who Solomon commanded them. He had a ring that took all his power from it. There is a story telling that the Devil was able to reach the ring and put it into the lake to rely on the throne of Solomon. After this incident, Satan sat down on the throne of Solomon. Some believe that Suleiman the prophet never achieved this ring, but there are other interpretations that says that Solomon was able to remove the ring from the stomach of a fish that had eaten it and defeat Satan.
Treasure Search on Takht-e Soleyman
Efforts have been made to discover this treasure and answer the questions that are there, but the depth of the lake and its deposits are an important obstacle for explorers. It’s as if this treasure trove has a very strong bodyguard, so that nobody has been informed of its secret until this time. Even European explorers came to the lake, but no diving could penetrate more than 31 meters deep into the lake. Water pressure in the lake and heavy and heavy liquids are major obstacles to this.
For the first time, German divers came into the lake. According to their observations, which were later published, a lake was found at a depth of 112 meters. Also, 10 water channels were discovered on the edge of the lake, but due to their large water deposits and their limitation of vision, they could not discover a particular effect in the depths of the water.
Death, Gift of the Soleyman Lake
Around Takht-e Soleyman, there are several “Banned Swimming” themes, which can indicate that this beautiful lake is also equally scary. In addition to this tranquility, Takht-e Soleyman only serves the without experience guests with death; guests who like to lay their hands on the water of the lake, but do not report the anger within it. This lake brutally swallows every creature that enters it, deep down. Next to this lake, you can see the tomb of some of our compatriots who have gone to the lake and never returned. Of course, the lake returned only a corpse where it was buried there.
The site also has many important symbolic relationships, being associated with beliefs much older than Zoroastrianism as well as with significant biblical figures and legends.
Zendan-e Soleyman, a Place to Punish Rebellious Demon
An ancient volcano, known as Zendan-e-Soleyman (meaning ‘The Prison of Solomon’) is located about 3km to the west of the site. According to folk legend, this beautiful mountain area is known as Solomon’s Prison or Demon Prison, and they believe that Solomon had imprisoned the demons who disobeyed his command. This name has been placed on this mountain in accordance with the attribution of the site to Prophet Solomon.
Shahr-e Sukhteh: One of the most advanced cities in the world Shahr-e Sukhteh, meaning ‘Burnt City’, is located at the junction of Bronze Age trade routes crossing the Iranian plateau. The remains of the mud brick city represent the emergence of the first complex societies in eastern Iran. Founded around 3200 BC, it was populated during four main periods up to 1800 BC, during which time there developed several distinct areas within the city: those where monuments were built, and separate quarters for housing, burial and manufacture. Diversions in water courses and climate change led to the eventual abandonment of the city in the early second millennium. The structures, burial grounds and large number of significant artifacts unearthed there, and their well-preserved state due to the dry desert climate, make this site a rich source of information regarding the emergence of complex societies and contacts between them in the third millennium BC. Shahr-e Sukhteh Shahr-e Sukhteh (Burnt City), one of the wonders of the ancient world, is a unique example of the first, the largest and the most advanced urban establishment of Bronze Age. Burnt City is located in eastern Iran and had been founded in the direction of Hirmand River to Hamun Lake. Changes in water courses and climate change led to the eventual abandonment of the city in the early second millennium. The structures, burial grounds and large number of significant artefacts unearthed there and their well-preserved state due to the dry desert climate make this site a rich source of information regarding the emergence of complex societies and contacts between them in the third millennium BCE. Shahr-e Sukhteh bears exceptional testimony to a peculiar civilization and cultural tradition that entertained trade and cultural relations with ancient sites and cultures on the Indus Plain, southern shores of the Persian Gulf, the Oman Sea and
Shahr-e Sukhteh: One of the most advanced cities in the world
Shahr-e Sukhteh, meaning ‘Burnt City’, is located at the junction of Bronze Age trade routes crossing the Iranian plateau. The remains of the mud brick city represent the emergence of the first complex societies in eastern Iran. Founded around 3200 BC, it was populated during four main periods up to 1800 BC, during which time there developed several distinct areas within the city: those where monuments were built, and separate quarters for housing, burial and manufacture. Diversions in water courses and climate change led to the eventual abandonment of the city in the early second millennium. The structures, burial grounds and large number of significant artifacts unearthed there, and their well-preserved state due to the dry desert climate, make this site a rich source of information regarding the emergence of complex societies and contacts between them in the third millennium BC.
Shahr-e Sukhteh
Shahr-e Sukhteh (Burnt City), one of the wonders of the ancient world, is a unique example of the first, the largest and the most advanced urban establishment of Bronze Age. Burnt City is located in eastern Iran and had been founded in the direction of Hirmand River to Hamun Lake.
Changes in water courses and climate change led to the eventual abandonment of the city in the early second millennium. The structures, burial grounds and large number of significant artefacts unearthed there and their well-preserved state due to the dry desert climate make this site a rich source of information regarding the emergence of complex societies and contacts between them in the third millennium BCE.
Shahr-e Sukhteh bears exceptional testimony to a peculiar civilization and cultural tradition that entertained trade and cultural relations with ancient sites and cultures on the Indus Plain, southern shores of the Persian Gulf, the Oman Sea and South-west Iran, and Central Asia. Archaeological remains and finds indicate the key role of the city on a very large scale in terms of working with metals, stone vessels, gems and pottery.
The ancient site of Shahr-e Sukhteh is an outstanding example of early urban planning: excavations have brought to light well-preserved evidence in the form of its mud-brick structures, burial grounds, workshops and artefacts that testify to its size, organisation, the source of its wealth and its trade and social structures. The city was separated into various parts according to different functions – residential, industrial and burial; it therefore represents an important stage in urban planning in the region.
Authenticity
In general the surrounding desert landscape and extraordinary scatter of archaeological material present on the surface of the low hill of Shahr-e Sukhteh give a strong sense of authenticity, as does the sight of the complex architecture of the various parts so far excavated. The labyrinthine succession of rooms, corridors and courtyards give a genuine impression of these ancient buildings.
Protection and Management Requirements
Shahr-e Sukhteh was registered in the list of national cultural properties of Iran as no. 542 in 1966. The property is further protected by a buffer and landscape zones where activities are regulated and subject to approval by the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism organisation (ICHHTO).
The archaeological excavations and finds have been documented since the 1970s and records, inventory and finds are stored and analysed at the ICHHTO multi-disciplinary Base at Shahr-e Sukhteh. The excavated remains are cleaned regularly during the year and Kahgel plaster is applied to conserve exposed walls.
The property is managed by the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organisation (ICHHTO) on behalf of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran by ICHHTO’s Base at the property, located in the buffer zone, through a management plan that includes short, medium and long term activities concerning research, conservation, visitor management and presentation. The Base is advised by a steering committee comprising regional officials and experts and a technical committee comprising regional officials and experts. The Higher Education Centre of ICHHTO and national universities provide sources of expertise and training in conservation and management. The Research Organisation of Cultural Heritage and Tourism is responsible for multi-disciplinary research and training.
Maryam Mirzakhani: The First Woman And The First Iranian To Win Mathematics' Fields Medal Maryam Mirzakhani, a Stanford University professor who was the first and only woman to win the prestigious Fields medal in mathematics, has died. She was 40. Maryam Mirzakhani: 'The more I spent time on maths, the more excited I got' In 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani was one of four winners of the Fields medal, which is presented every four years and is considered the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel prize. She was named for her work on complex geometry and dynamic systems.“Maryam Mirzakhani specialized in theoretical mathematics that read like a foreign language by those outside of mathematics: moduli spaces, Teichmüller theory, hyperbolic geometry, Ergodic theory and symplectic geometry,” the Stanford press announcement said. “Mastering these approaches allowed Maryam Mirzakhani to pursue her fascination for describing the geometric and dynamic complexities of curved surfaces spheres, doughnut shapes and even amoebas – in as great detail as possible.”Her work had implications in fields ranging from cryptography to “the theoretical physics of how the universe came to exist”, the university said. Maryam Mirzakhani was born in Tehran - Iran and studied there and at Harvard. She joined Stanford as a mathematics professor in 2008. Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, issued a statement praising Mirzakhani.“The grievous passing of Maryam Mirzakhani, the eminent Iranian and world-renowned mathematician, is very much heart-rending,” Rouhani said in a message that was reported by the Tehran Times.Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said her death pained all Iranians, the newspaper reported.“The news of young Iranian genius and math professor Maryam Mirzakhani’s passing has brought a deep pang of sorrow to me and all Iranians who are proud of their eminent and distinguished scientists,” Zarif posted in Farsi on his Instagram account. Maryam Mirzakhani could be private
Maryam Mirzakhani: The First Woman And The First Iranian To Win Mathematics’ Fields Medal
Maryam Mirzakhani, a Stanford University professor who was the first and only woman to win the prestigious Fields medal in mathematics, has died. She was 40.
Maryam Mirzakhani: ‘The more I spent time on maths, the more excited I got’
In 2014, Maryam Mirzakhani was one of four winners of the Fields medal, which is presented every four years and is considered the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel prize. She was named for her work on complex geometry and dynamic systems. “Maryam Mirzakhani specialized in theoretical mathematics that read like a foreign language by those outside of mathematics: moduli spaces, Teichmüller theory, hyperbolic geometry, Ergodic theory and symplectic geometry,” the Stanford press announcement said.
“Mastering these approaches allowed Maryam Mirzakhani to pursue her fascination for describing the geometric and dynamic complexities of curved surfaces spheres, doughnut shapes and even amoebas – in as great detail as possible.” Her work had implications in fields ranging from cryptography to “the theoretical physics of how the universe came to exist”, the university said.
Maryam Mirzakhani was born in Tehran – Iran and studied there and at Harvard. She joined Stanford as a mathematics professor in 2008. Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, issued a statement praising Mirzakhani. “The grievous passing of Maryam Mirzakhani, the eminent Iranian and world-renowned mathematician, is very much heart-rending,” Rouhani said in a message that was reported by the Tehran Times. Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said her death pained all Iranians, the newspaper reported. “The news of young Iranian genius and math professor Maryam Mirzakhani’s passing has brought a deep pang of sorrow to me and all Iranians who are proud of their eminent and distinguished scientists,” Zarif posted in Farsi on his Instagram account.
Maryam Mirzakhani could be private and retiring, but she was also indomitable and energetic, especially at the blackboard. According to Roya Beheshti, an algebraic geometer at Washington University in St. Louis, and a lifelong friend—the two talked math, read math, and did math, sometimes competitively, for several years growing up—Mirzakhani’s passion was evident early on. “Maryam’s work was driven by a certain pure joy,” Beheshti told me. “A lot of people have been saying how humble she was, and that’s true. She was very humble. She was also really, really ambitious. From the very beginning, from a very young age, it was clear that she had very big goals.” When Maryam Mirzakhani was in sixth grade, in Tehran, a teacher discouraged her interest in mathematics, noting that she was not particularly talented, not at the top of the class. A quarter century later, in 2014, she became the first woman (and the first Iranian) to win the Fields Medal, math’s highest honor.
Mirzakhani took pride in the accolades, but they were not her main concern. When her doctoral adviser, Harvard’s Curtis McMullen, delivered the Fields Medal laudation on her work, at the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians, in Seoul, Mirzakhani sat in the front row with her daughter and her husband, the Stanford computer scientist Jan Vondrák. Looking out into the audience, McMullen noticed that Mirzakhani wasn’t paying full attention to her moment of glory, instead allowing herself to be distracted by a very excited Anahita. “Some scientists and mathematicians engage in a problem to go beyond what other people have done; they measure themselves against others,” McMullen told me. “Maryam was not like that. She would engage directly with the scientific challenge, with the mathematics, no matter how hard it was, and really go deep into the heart of the matter.”
The Princeton mathematician Manjul Bhargava, who also won a Fields in 2014, said that Mirzakhani “was a master of curved spaces.” As he explained in an e-mail, “Everyone knows that the shortest distance between two points on a flat surface is a straight line. But if the surface is curved—for example, the surface of a ball or a doughnut—then the shortest distance. . . will also be along a curved path, and can thus be more complicated. Maryam proved many amazing theorems about such shortest paths—called ‘geodesics’—on curved surfaces, among many other remarkable results in geometry and beyond.”
Bhargava and Mirzakhani met at Harvard as doctoral students, but they only ever solved one problem together. It was at the I.C.M. meeting in Seoul, where they collected their Fields medals, along with Artur Avila and Martin Hairer. The presenters apparently hadn’t realized that the medals were engraved with the recipients’ names, and they doled them out incorrectly. “I received Martin’s, who received Maryam’s, who received Artur’s, who received mine,” Bhargava said. “An unlikely scenario, even if the medals were distributed randomly.” The mathematicians had a real-life combinatorial problem in their hands. “After the ceremony, it was very busy, and there was little chance for all four of us, or even say three of us, to be in the same place simultaneously,” Bhargava explained. “Also, due to constant photo shoots, we each needed a medal with us at all times so that we could fulfill our duties and pose with one when asked.” When Mirzakhani and Bhargava ran into each other, they laughed and tried to figure out the optimal path toward a solution. What to do, standing there, Bhargava with Hairer’s medal, and Mirzakhani with Avila’s?
Avila, who has dual appointments at the French National Center for Scientific Research, in Paris, and the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics in Rio de Janeiro, first met Mirzakhani in 1995, when as teens they both won gold at the thirty-sixth International Mathematical Olympiad, in Toronto. Over the years, their research interests converged on the dynamics of billiards. In 2010, Avila learned that Mirzakhani had proved, together with the University of Chicago’s Alex Eskin, the so-called magic-wand theorem. “Upon hearing about this result, and knowing her earlier work, I was certain that she would be a front-runner for the Fields medals to be given in 2014, so much so that I did not expect to have much of a chance,” Avila told me. And then there they were in Seoul, with Mirzakhani in possession of Avila’s medal. Meanwhile, Hairer, of the University of Warwick, was doing the rounds with Mirzakhani’s medal, though before that day they had never met. His first impression, he told me, was of “a very modest person, who certainly wasn’t seeking publicity and who didn’t particularly enjoy the whole media circus she was subjected to.”
Maryam Mirzakhani had first received news of the Fields Medal in an e-mail from the Duke mathematician Ingrid Daubechies, then president of the International Mathematics Union, which adjudicates and awards the prize. At first, Mirzakhani assumed someone was playing a joke; she ignored Daubechies’s note. When the two finally spoke, Maryam Mirzakhani was pleased, of course, but she was concerned that, having just undergone chemotherapy for breast cancer, she wouldn’t be well enough to attend. Plus, as the first female Fields medalist, she was wary of being hounded by the press. Once it became clear that Mirzakhani would come, Daubechies and a number of other distinguished women mathematicians devised a plan to insulate her. “There were six of us,” Daubechies told me. “We called ourselves the M.M. Shield.” Whenever Maryam Mirzakhani was in public, two women were always near; one would intercept any hovering journalists and offer herself as an interlocutor, and the other would facilitate Mirzakhani’s escape. “We felt, as a community, we should really help,” Daubechies said. “We wanted to help her celebrate. It was so unfair—here she was, and sick.”
Despite her illness, Bhargava said, Maryam Mirzakhani “was still producing some of her most amazing mathematics just these last few years.” She had an “uncanny intuition” about difficult geometric problems, even if they might require decades of work. Still, though she took the long view of mathematics, she wasn’t above more mundane and immediate concerns. When she and Bhargava brainstormed about their predicament in Seoul, they worked out that the easiest way to untangle the medals was for each of them to perform two trades. “Maryam and I exchanged our medals; then Maryam waited to run into Martin to exchange medals with him, while I waited to run into Artur to exchange medals with him,” Bhargava said. Then he offered a more mathy explanation for the solution to the four-medal mix-up:
A four-cycle cannot be expressed as the composition of fewer than three transpositions, or “swaps.” Therefore, since exchanging our medals resulted in a permutation that was the composition of two swaps, it was clearly making progress (two swaps is better than three); moreover, those last two swaps could now be carried out in parallel, making it better than any other possible solution. We had this amusing mathematical conversation very quickly, exchanged medals, and then ran off to our next obligations.
Mirzakhani stayed for a couple of days at the congress but, as she and Daubechies had planned, left before delivering her lecture, which was scheduled toward the end of the proceedings. That morning, Daubechies said, “people looked for her, but she was gone.”
Shahnameh Ferdowsi: The world's longest epic poem written by a single poet The Shahnameh, Book of Kings, is an epic composed by the Iranian poet Hakim Abul-Qasim Mansur (later known as Ferdowsi Tusi), and completed around 1010 CE. Ferdowsi means 'from paradise', and is derived from the name Ferdous. Tusi means 'from Tus'. In the poet's case, the name Ferdowsi Tusi became a name and a title: The Tusi Poet from Paradise. The epic chronicles the legends and histories of Iranian (Aryan) kings from primordial times to the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century CE, in three successive stages: the mythical, the heroic or legendary, and the historic.Ferdowsi began the composition of the Shahnameh's approximately 100,000 lines as 50,000* couplets /distiches (bayts) each consisting of two hemistichs (misra), 62 stories and 990 chapters, a work several times the length of Homer's Iliad, in 977 CE, when eastern Iran was under Samanid rule. The Samanids had Tajik-Aryan affiliation and were sympathetic to preserving Aryan heritage. It took Ferdowsi thirty-three years to complete his epic, by which time the rule of eastern Iran had passed to the Turkoman Ghaznavids. The Shahnameh Ferdowsi was written in classical Persian when the language was emerging from its Middle Persian Pahlavi roots, and at a time when Arabic was the favoured language of literature. As such, Ferdowsi is seen as a national Iranian hero who re-ignited pride in Iranian culture and literature, and who established the Persian language as a language of beauty and sophistication. Ferdowsi wrote: "the Persian language is revived by this work." The earliest and perhaps most reliable account of Ferdowsi's life comes from Nezami-ye Aruzi, a 12th-century poet who visited Tus in 1116 or 1117 to collect information about Ferdowsi's life. According to Nezami-ye Aruzi, Ferdowsi Tusi was born into a
Shahnameh Ferdowsi: The world’s longest epic poem written by a single poet
The Shahnameh, Book of Kings, is an epic composed by the Iranian poet Hakim Abul-Qasim Mansur (later known as Ferdowsi Tusi), and completed around 1010 CE. Ferdowsi means ‘from paradise’, and is derived from the name Ferdous. Tusi means ‘from Tus’. In the poet’s case, the name Ferdowsi Tusi became a name and a title: The Tusi Poet from Paradise.
The epic chronicles the legends and histories of Iranian (Aryan) kings from primordial times to the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century CE, in three successive stages: the mythical, the heroic or legendary, and the historic. Ferdowsi began the composition of the Shahnameh’s approximately 100,000 lines as 50,000* couplets /distiches (bayts) each consisting of two hemistichs (misra), 62 stories and 990 chapters, a work several times the length of Homer’s Iliad, in 977 CE, when eastern Iran was under Samanid rule. The Samanids had Tajik-Aryan affiliation and were sympathetic to preserving Aryan heritage.
It took Ferdowsi thirty-three years to complete his epic, by which time the rule of eastern Iran had passed to the Turkoman Ghaznavids. The Shahnameh Ferdowsi was written in classical Persian when the language was emerging from its Middle Persian Pahlavi roots, and at a time when Arabic was the favoured language of literature. As such, Ferdowsi is seen as a national Iranian hero who re-ignited pride in Iranian culture and literature, and who established the Persian language as a language of beauty and sophistication.
Ferdowsi wrote: “the Persian language is revived by this work.”
The earliest and perhaps most reliable account of Ferdowsi’s life comes from Nezami-ye Aruzi, a 12th-century poet who visited Tus in 1116 or 1117 to collect information about Ferdowsi’s life. According to Nezami-ye Aruzi, Ferdowsi Tusi was born into a family of landowners near the village of Tus in the Khorasan province of north-eastern Iran. Ferdowsi and his family were called Dehqan, also spelt Dehgan or Dehgān. Dehqan /Dehgan is now thought to mean landed, village settlers, urban and even farmer. However, Dehgan is also a name for the Parsiban, a group of Khorasani with Tajik roots.
Ferdowsi married at the age of 28 and eight years after his marriage – in order to provide a dowry for his daughter – Ferdowsi started writing the Shahnameh, a project on which he spent some thirty-three years of his life.
Shahnama: 1000 Years of the Persian Book of Kings
Ferdowsi’s text is centered on the reigns of fifty monarchs (including three women) and can be divided into a legendary and a quasi-historical section. It begins with the reign of Kayumars at the dawn of time and concludes with the last Sasanian king, Yazdigird (reigned 632–651), who was defeated by the Arabs. These fifty “chronicles” provide a framework for the dramatic deeds and heroic actions of a range of other personages who are often aided by—or at battle with—a host of fantastic creatures and treacherous villains. The poem draws on a wealth of sources, including local and dynastic histories, the Avesta (the sacred text of the Zoroastrian religion of ancient Iran), and myths and legends preserved in oral tradition.
“Our lives pass from us like the wind, and why Should wise men grieve to know that they must die? The Judas blossom fades, the lovely face Of light is dimmed, and darkness takes its place.”
-Shahnameh Ferdowsi
Over the centuries, foreign conquerors and local rulers alike were drawn to the Shahnaman (Shahnameh Ferdowsi) for its emphasis on justice, legitimacy, and especially the concept of divine glory. Known as Khavarnah in the Avesta and as farr in modern Persian, divine glory was considered the most important attribute of kingship, for it enabled rulers to govern and command obedience. Not surprisingly, commissioning lavishly illustrated copies of the Shahnama became almost a royal duty. By representing the kings and heroes of the epic according to the style of their own times, members of the ruling elite were able to cast themselves as the legitimate heirs of Iran’s monarchical tradition, which according to Ferdowsi dates back to the beginning of time.
While Ferdowsi was composing the Shahnameh, Khorasan came under the rule of Sultan Mahmoud, a Turkoman Sunni Muslim and consolidator of the Ghaznavid dynasty. Ferdowsi sought the patronage of the sultan and wrote verses in his praise. The sultan, on the advice from his ministers, gave Ferdowsi an amount far smaller than Ferdowsi had requested and one that Ferdowsi considered insulting. He had a falling out with the sultan and fled to Mazandaran seeking the protection and patronage of the court of the Sepahbad Shahreyar, who, it is said, had lineage from rulers during the Zoroastrian-Sassanian era. In Mazandaran, Ferdowsi wrote a hundred satirical verses about Sultan Mahmoud, verses purchased by his new patron and then expunged from the Shahnameh’s manuscript (to keep the peace perhaps). Nevertheless, the verses survived.
Ferdowsi returned to Tus to spend the closing years of his life forlorn. Notwithstanding the lack of royal patronage, he died proud and confident his work would make him immortal.
Language of Shahnameh Ferdowsi
Ferdowsi wrote the Shahnameh in Persian at a time when modern Persian was emerging from middle Persian Pahlavi admixed with a number of Arabic words. In his writing, Ferdowsi used authentic Persian while minimizing the use of Arabic words. In doing so, he established classical Persian as the language of great beauty and sophistication, a language that would supplant Arabic as the language of court literature in all Islamic regimes in the Indo-Iranian region.
“I turn to right and left, in all the earth I see no signs of justice, sense or worth: A man does evil deeds, and all his days Are filled with luck and universal praise; Another’s good in all he does – he dies A wretched, broken man whom all despise.”
– Shahnameh Ferdowsi
If the Shahnameh transliterations this author possesses are correct, Ferdowsi even used the term Parsi and not Farsi to name the Persian language, Farsi being the Arabic version of Parsi.
Oral Tradition
The public for their part got to hear verses and legends in Chaikhanas or tea houses and at other gatherings frequented by travelling bards and storytellers – the famed Naqqal. A few erudite individuals would also recite the verses in private gatherings eliciting the approving bah-bah. Shahnameh Ferdowsi was and is also read aloud in the gymnasiums of the Mithraeum-like Zurkhanes – where pahlavans , the strong-men of Iran, train with their maces and clubs. During their meditative exercises that have spiritual overtones, a musician plays a drum while reciting Shahnameh verses that recount the heroic deeds of Rustam and other champions of Iran. The epic itself sits in a place of special reverence within the Zurkhane.
English Translations of Shahnameh Ferdowsi
Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings is the illustrated edition of the classic work “Shahnameh Ferdowsi”. This new prose translation of the national epic is illuminated with over 500 pages of illustrations and had been published in April 2013. The lush and intricate illustrations in this edition have been created by award-winning graphic artist and filmmaker Hamid Rahmanian, incorporating images from the pictorial tradition of the Persianate world from the fourteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The new translation and adaptation by Ahmad Sadri, retells the mythological and epic stories of the original poem in prose format. This Shahnameh is an extraordinary literary and artistic accomplishment.
I’ve reached the end of this great history And all the land will talk of me: I shall not die, these seeds I’ve sown will save My name and reputation from the grave, And men of sense and wisdom will proclaim When I have gone, my praises and my fame
Eram Garden (Baq-e Eram), the Garden of Paradise, is one of the most famous and beautiful Persian gardens in all of Iran. It should be noted that the word ‘Eram’ is the Persian version of the Arabic word ‘Iram’ which means heaven in Islam’s holiest of books, the Qur’an. With its beautiful grounds, lush plant life and aesthetic attractions, it’s easy to see why Eram evokes such a description. Baq e Eram with their beautiful flowers, refreshing air, aromatic myrtles and towering cypress trees, including one tree which is said to date back to 3000 years ago (Sarv-e naz), the Eram Gardens are a major tourist destination, especially during the spring. History of Eram Garden Although no one is quite sure when construction of the gardens began, historical evidence suggests that the gardens were built during the Seljuk Dynasty (11th-14th centuries) under the rule of one of its most celebrated monarchs, Ahmad Sanjar. Like many other attractions in Shiraz, the Eram Gardens (Baq e Eram) have been restored and repaired by the Zand kings of the Zand Dynasty (1750-1794), but during the later period of the Zand Dynasty, the garden changed hands to a Qashgai tribal chief, Mohammad Qoli Khan. Mohammad Qoli Khan ordered the construction of the original mansion that stood on the grounds in the early 18th century, and planted various trees and plants in the garden including pine, orange, cypress and persimmon trees. Later on, during the rule of King Nasser ed-din of the Qajar Dynasty (1785-1925) Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Nasir-al Mulk bought the gardens from the Qashgai tribes and began construction on the present pavilion that now stands in the gardens. As noteworthy as the gardens themselves, the pavilion was constructed by a local Shirazi architect, one Mohammad Hassan. The beautiful three-story structure was constructed
Eram Garden (Baq-e Eram), the Garden of Paradise, is one of the most famous and beautiful Persian gardens in all of Iran. It should be noted that the word ‘Eram’ is the Persian version of the Arabic word ‘Iram’ which means heaven in Islam’s holiest of books, the Qur’an. With its beautiful grounds, lush plant life and aesthetic attractions, it’s easy to see why Eram evokes such a description.
Baq e Eram with their beautiful flowers, refreshing air, aromatic myrtles and towering cypress trees, including one tree which is said to date back to 3000 years ago (Sarv-e naz), the Eram Gardens are a major tourist destination, especially during the spring.
History of Eram Garden
Although no one is quite sure when construction of the gardens began, historical evidence suggests that the gardens were built during the Seljuk Dynasty (11th-14th centuries) under the rule of one of its most celebrated monarchs, Ahmad Sanjar. Like many other attractions in Shiraz, the Eram Gardens (Baq e Eram) have been restored and repaired by the Zand kings of the Zand Dynasty (1750-1794), but during the later period of the Zand Dynasty, the garden changed hands to a Qashgai tribal chief, Mohammad Qoli Khan.
Mohammad Qoli Khan ordered the construction of the original mansion that stood on the grounds in the early 18th century, and planted various trees and plants in the garden including pine, orange, cypress and persimmon trees. Later on, during the rule of King Nasser ed-din of the Qajar Dynasty (1785-1925) Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Nasir-al Mulk bought the gardens from the Qashgai tribes and began construction on the present pavilion that now stands in the gardens.
As noteworthy as the gardens themselves, the pavilion was constructed by a local Shirazi architect, one Mohammad Hassan. The beautiful three-story structure was constructed based on the Safavid and Qajar styles of architecture, and includes tiles inscribed with poems from the famed Persian poet Hafez.
Architecture Styles of Eram Garden
The tradition and style of Baq e Eram design represented by Persian gardens or Iranian gardens has influenced the design of gardens from Andalusia to India and beyond. The gardens of the Alhambra show the influence of Persian garden philosophy and style in a Moorish palace scale, from the era of Al-Andalus in Spain. Humayun’s Tomb and Taj Mahal have some of the largest Persian gardens in the world, from the era of the Mughal Empire in India.
Today, Eram Garden (Baq e Eram) and building are within Shiraz Botanical Garden (established 1983) of Shiraz University. They are open to the public as a historic landscape garden. They are World Heritage Site, and protected by Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization.
The Greatest Ziggurat In The World: Tchogha Zanbil Tchogha Zanbil is an ancient Elamite Complex in the Khuzestan province of Iran. It is one of the few existence Ziggurats outside of Mesopotamia. The ruins of the holy city of the Kingdom of Elam, surrounded by three huge concentric walls, are found at Tchogha Zanbil. Founded c. 1250 B.C. The city remained unfinished after it was invaded by Ashurbanipal, as shown by the thousands of unused bricks left at the site. What is Ziggurat? The ziggurat is the most distinctive architectural invention of the Ancient Near East. Like an ancient Egyptian pyramid, an ancient Near Eastern ziggurat has four sides and rises up to the realm of the gods. However, unlike Egyptian pyramids, the exterior of Ziggurats were not smooth but tiered to accommodate the work which took place at the structure as well as the administrative oversight and religious rituals essential to Ancient Near Eastern cities. Ziggurats are found scattered around what is today Iraq and Iran, and stand as an imposing testament to the power and skill of the ancient culture that produced them. Outstanding Universal Value Tchogha Zanbil is located in ancient Elam (today Khuzestan province in southwest Iran), Tchogha Zanbil (Dur-Untash, or City of Untash, in Elamite) was founded by the Elamite king Untash-Napirisha (1275-1240 BCE) as the religious center of Elam. The principal element of this complex is an enormous Ziggurat dedicated to the Elamite divinities Inshushinak and Napirisha (Inshushinak was one of the major gods of the Elamites and the protector deity of Susa, the ziggurat at Tchoqa Zanbil is dedicated to him). It is the largest Ziggurat outside of Mesopotamia and the best preserved of this type of stepped pyramidal monument. The archaeological site of Tchogha Zanbil is an exceptional expression of the culture, beliefs, and ritual
The Greatest Ziggurat In The World: Tchogha Zanbil
Tchogha Zanbil is an ancient Elamite Complex in the Khuzestan province of Iran. It is one of the few existence Ziggurats outside of Mesopotamia. The ruins of the holy city of the Kingdom of Elam, surrounded by three huge concentric walls, are found at Tchogha Zanbil. Founded c. 1250 B.C. The city remained unfinished after it was invaded by Ashurbanipal, as shown by the thousands of unused bricks left at the site.
What is Ziggurat?
The ziggurat is the most distinctive architectural invention of the Ancient Near East. Like an ancient Egyptian pyramid, an ancient Near Eastern ziggurat has four sides and rises up to the realm of the gods. However, unlike Egyptian pyramids, the exterior of Ziggurats were not smooth but tiered to accommodate the work which took place at the structure as well as the administrative oversight and religious rituals essential to Ancient Near Eastern cities. Ziggurats are found scattered around what is today Iraq and Iran, and stand as an imposing testament to the power and skill of the ancient culture that produced them.
Outstanding Universal Value
Tchogha Zanbil is located in ancient Elam (today Khuzestan province in southwest Iran), Tchogha Zanbil (Dur-Untash, or City of Untash, in Elamite) was founded by the Elamite king Untash-Napirisha (1275-1240 BCE) as the religious center of Elam. The principal element of this complex is an enormous Ziggurat dedicated to the Elamite divinities Inshushinak and Napirisha (Inshushinak was one of the major gods of the Elamites and the protector deity of Susa, the ziggurat at Tchoqa Zanbil is dedicated to him). It is the largest Ziggurat outside of Mesopotamia and the best preserved of this type of stepped pyramidal monument. The archaeological site of Tchogha Zanbil is an exceptional expression of the culture, beliefs, and ritual traditions of one of the oldest indigenous peoples of Iran. Our knowledge of the architectural development of the middle Elamite period (1400-1100 BCE) comes from the ruins of Tchogha Zanbil and of the capital city of Susa 38 km to the north-west of the temple).
The archaeological site of Tchogha Zanbil covers a vast, arid plateau overlooking the rich valley of the river Ab-e Diz and its forests. A “sacred city” for the king’s residence, it was never completed and only a few priests lived there until it was destroyed by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal about 640 BCE. The complex was protected by three concentric enclosure walls: an outer wall about 4 km in circumference enclosing a vast complex of residences and the royal quarter, where three monumental palaces have been unearthed (one is considered a tomb-palace that covers the remains of underground baked-brick structures containing the burials of the royal family); a second wall protecting the temples (Temenus); and the innermost wall enclosing the focal point of the ensemble, the ziggurat.
Tchogha Zanbil originally measured 105.2 m on each side and about 53 m in height, in five levels, and was crowned with a temple. Mud brick was the basic material of the whole ensemble. The ziggurat was given a facing of baked bricks, a number of which have cuneiform characters giving the names of deities in the Elamite and Akkadian languages. Though the ziggurat now stands only 24.75 m high, less than half its estimated original height, its state of preservation is unsurpassed. Studies of the ziggurat and the rest of the archaeological site of Tchogha Zanbil containing other temples, residences, tomb-palaces, and water reservoirs have made an important contribution to our knowledge about the architecture of this period of the Elamites, whose ancient culture persisted into the emerging Achaemenid (First Persian) Empire, which changed the face of the civilized world at that time.
The ruins of Susa and of Tchogha Zanbil are the sole testimonies to the architectural development of the middle Elamite period (1400-1100 BCE). The ziggurat at Tchogha Zanbil remains to this day the best-preserved monument of this type and the largest outside of Mesopotamia.
Authenticity
The historical monuments of the archaeological site of Tchogha Zanbil are authentic in terms of their forms and design, materials and substance, and locations and setting. Several conservation measures have been undertaken since the original excavations of the site between 1946 and 1962, but they have not usually disturbed its historical authenticity.
Protection of Tchogha Zanbil
Tchogha Zanbil was registered in the national list of Iranian monuments as item no. 895 on 26 January 1970. Relevant national laws and regulations concerning the property include the National Heritage Protection Law (1930, updated 1998) and the 1980 Legal bill on preventing clandestine diggings and illegal excavations. The inscribed World Heritage property, which is owned by the Government of Iran, and its buffer zone are administered by the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (which is administered and funded by the Government of Iran). A Management Plan was prepared in 2003 and has since been implemented. Planning for tourism management, landscaping, and emergency evacuation for the property has been accomplished and implementation was in progress in 2013. A research center has undertaken daily, monthly, and annual monitoring of the property since 1998. Financial resources for Tchogha Zanbil are provided through national budgets.
Conservation activities have been undertaken within a general framework, including development of scientific research programs; comprehensive conservation of the property and its natural-historical context; expansion of the conservation program to the surrounding environment; concentration on engaging the public and governmental organizations and agencies; and according special attention to programs for training and presentation (with the aim of developing cultural tourism) based on sustainable development. Objectives include research programs and promotion of a conservation management culture; scientific and comprehensive conservation of the property and surrounding area; and development of training and introductory programmers.
Sustaining the Outstanding Universal Value of the property over time will require creating a transparent and regular funding system, employing efficient and sustainable management systems, supporting continuous protection and presentation, enjoying the public support and giving life to the property, adopting a “minimum intervention” approach, and respecting the integrity and authenticity of the property and its surrounding environment. In addition, any outstanding recommendations of past expert missions to the property should be addressed.
The Secret History of the World's Priciest Spice: Persian Saffron Persian Saffron has a long and colorful history. You may be surprised by how it is made! What is Persian Saffron? After hearing a lot about saffron, you might have this question in mind - What really is Persian Saffron? Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, going for up to $16 per gram—and with good reason. It comes from the dried bright orange-red stigmas of the flower Crocus Sativus. But before you go digging up your spring crocus, know that this variety is special because it’s a triploid: it can’t grow in the wild or reproduce without human intervention. The gorgeous purple flower is painstakingly propagated and harvested by hand, and only on the morning it blooms. The more careful the cultivation, the higher the price. Saffron Spice Saffron is used as a spice extensively in Persian, European, North African, Indian, Spanish, Turkish, Moroccan, and Asian cuisines. Its aroma is described by experts as resembling that of honey, with grassy, hay-like, and metallic notes. Saffron's taste is like that of hay, but with hints of bitter. Even though saffron threads are red, it contributes a luminous yellow-orange coloring to items it is soaked with. Saffron Crocus Crocus sativus is commonly known as Saffron Crocus. In both antiquity and modern times, mostly saffron was and is used in the preparation of food and drink. Cultures spread across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas value the red threads for use in such items as baked foods, curries, and liquor. Saffron Benefits Saffron contains more than 100 components, but the three most promising appears to be: Crocin which is responsible for its orange color, Picrocrocin which provides its bitter taste, and Safranal which gives its aroma. Saffron benefits are countless.
The Secret History of the World’s Priciest Spice: Persian Saffron
Persian Saffron has a long and colorful history. You may be surprised by how it is made!
What is Persian Saffron?
After hearing a lot about saffron, you might have this question in mind – What really is Persian Saffron?
Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, going for up to $16 per gram—and with good reason. It comes from the dried bright orange-red stigmas of the flower Crocus Sativus.
But before you go digging up your spring crocus, know that this variety is special because it’s a triploid: it can’t grow in the wild or reproduce without human intervention. The gorgeous purple flower is painstakingly propagated and harvested by hand, and only on the morning it blooms. The more careful the cultivation, the higher the price.
Saffron Spice
Saffron is used as a spice extensively in Persian, European, North African, Indian, Spanish, Turkish, Moroccan, and Asian cuisines. Its aroma is described by experts as resembling that of honey, with grassy, hay-like, and metallic notes. Saffron’s taste is like that of hay, but with hints of bitter. Even though saffron threads are red, it contributes a luminous yellow-orange coloring to items it is soaked with.
Saffron Crocus
Crocus sativus is commonly known as Saffron Crocus. In both antiquity and modern times, mostly saffron was and is used in the preparation of food and drink. Cultures spread across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas value the red threads for use in such items as baked foods, curries, and liquor.
Saffron Benefits
Saffron contains more than 100 components, but the three most promising appears to be: Crocin which is responsible for its orange color, Picrocrocin which provides its bitter taste, and Safranal which gives its aroma.
Saffron benefits are countless. It has a long history in traditional healing and has been recently recognized for treating respiratory infections and disorders such as coughs and colds, scarlet fever, smallpox, cancer, hypoxia, and asthma. Other targets included blood circulatory disorders, insomnia, paralysis, heart diseases, stomach upsets, gout, chronic uterine haemorrhage, dysmorrhea, amenorrhea, baby colic, eye disorders, digestive stimulant, women menstrual pain, menopausal problems, and depression.It also helps with memory loss, male impotency, encourages oxygen flow, speeds the healing of wounds, and prevents cell death.
Saffron Benefits for Men
Saffron has long been used as an aphrodisiac throughout centuries. In a simple word, benefits of saffron for male is that saffron promotes blood flow which longer and better sexual performances follow as a natural result. Saffron is also very well known to treat blood circulatory disorders and male impotency, but don’t expect to see the result after one use only. You need to add it to your daily regimen and see the result after a while. You’ll be surprised!
Benefits of Saffron During Pregnancy
The followings are the most important benefits of saffron during pregnancy!
Hormonal fluctuation will cause mood swings. Saffron has antidepressant properties that help balance your mood.
During pregnancy digestive system is very slow and will cause many problems such as bloating, gas, and constipation. Saffron is a digestive stimulant. Saffron targets stomach upsets and sooths acidity.
Hormonal surges will cause skin problems and hair fall off. Saffron has properties for removing pimples, easing rashes, and smoothing face and skin tone.
Pregnant women with infections or cold cannot take any pharmaceutical medicines in order not to affect their fetus. Saffron has recently been recognized for treating respiratory infections and disorders such as cough and colds. Read saffron side effects
Saffron Benefits for Cancer
A growing number of respected scientists are convinced of the possibility of saffron in curing cancer. Saffron’s pharmacological effects on malignant tumors have been documented in different studies. Saffron has shown promise as a new and alternative treatment for a variety of cancers. Extracts of saffron have been shown to inhibit the formation of tumors and/or to retard tumor progression in a variety of experimental animal systems.
Saffron Benefits for Eyes
The reddish-colored zeaxanthin is one of the carotenoids naturally present within the retina of the human eye. For its zeaxanthins property, saffron is also known for reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) of the eyes. Test findings suggest saffron reverses age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in old people. Saffron affects the amount of fat stored by the eye, making vision cells tougher and more resilient. In the relatively small quantities in which saffron is usually consumed, it seems to be a perfectly safe and harmless substance.
Saffron Benefits for Skin
As people are being more aware of benefits of saffron on skin and saffron uses, the usage of this precious spice is now improving just because, saffron is a natural product for its aroma, and it contains removing pimples, easing rashes, and smoothing face and skin properties. Some studies show that saffron can inhibit the growth of some types of skin cancer, as well as another type of tumor called sarcoma. Researchers found that feeding mice with a saffron extract prevented the formation of soft tissue sarcomas.
Saffron Benefits as Antioxidant
Another saffron benefit as antioxidant comes from the intense golden orange color of saffron which hints of its medicinal nature and comes from the carotenoids and beta carotenes (precursor of vitamin A) found in carrots. Benefit of these two components is that they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants protect the body from free radical damage.
Saffron Side effects
There will be no saffron side effects if you follow below instructions especially during pregnancy.
If you’ve never taken saffron in your whole life, make sure that you are not allergic to it.
You cannot take more than a pinch of saffron (5-10 Sargol threads) for each serving. Safe consumption of saffron is two servings per day. You may mix it in a glass of hot milk. By the time milk get cooler and ready to consume, saffron defuses its components while soaked.
Consuming 5 grams of saffron in one day is poisonous and lethal.
Pregnant women should consult with their doctors prior to taking saffron. You may take saffron from the 5th month of your pregnancy and on, not earlier.
Although saffron has many advantages for you and your baby, taking high volume of saffron could result in miscarriage.
Saffron Uses
Saffron Uses as Medicine: Documentation of saffron’s use over the span of 4,000 years in the treatment of some 90 illnesses has been uncovered and mentioned above under saffron benefits section. Saffron Uses in Cooking: The saffron uses in food industry are increasing due to its golden color, and exotic aroma. It’s most common function is to color rice yellow, as in risotto Milanese, where its delicate flavor make it the most famous of Italian rice dishes. See our Saffron Recipes Saffron Uses in Liquor: In Italy saffron’s most common use is in confectionery and liquor industries such as Chartreuse, izarra, and strega. These types of alcoholic beverages rely highly on saffron to provide a flourish of color and flavor.
Saffron Substitutes / Saffron Adulteration
Typical methods include mixing pure saffron threads in extraneous substances like beets, pomegranate fibers, red-dyed silk fibers, or the saffron crocus’s tasteless and odorless yellow stamens or turmeric to add dead weight. Saffron stamens have no culinary properties but will still add the signature yellow color of saffron.
Other methods included dousing saffron fibers with viscid substances like honey or vegetable oil or by artificial colorants and by mixing genuine stigmas of saffron flower with other parts of plants (e.g. some species of grass) artificially colored.
Another method is mixing saffron threads (stigmas) with cheaper substitute like safflower (Portuguese saffron), sometimes referred to as “bastard saffron”, which yield a bright yellowish hue that does not precisely match that of saffron.
Adulteration can also consist of selling mislabeled mixes of different saffron grades.
Spain is producing almost 1 ton of saffron annually but is exporting 100 tons per year 20-30 tons of which to the united states alone. How could it be possible?
High quality Saffron produced in Iran (Persian Saffron) is exported in bulk to Spain. Then the imported Saffron is mixed and reprocessed with lower grade Spanish (La Mancha) and Portuguese saffron (safflower which is often sold as “assafroa”) before being packaged in beautiful designs. It is then re- exported as La Mancha or Mancha saffron at very higher prices to all parts of the world.
However, powdered saffron is more prone to adulteration, with turmeric, paprika, and other powders used as diluting fillers.
Saffron Threads vs. Saffron Powder
Saffron is available both in saffron threads (stigmas) and saffron powder, though the long, deep red threads are usually preferable to the powder for three reasons:
Saffron powder loses it flavor more rapidly
It can easily be adulterated with less-expensive powders like turmeric and paprika.
You cannot prepare dishes to show off the whole saffron threads
Besides you can easily crush the threads into powder for maximum color diffusion in dishes, so we recommend you to buy saffron threads instead of saffron powder.
This graph, based on FAO statistics, shows the percentage of Persian saffron exports in the global market.
Persian saffron and other saffron differences:
Persian Saffron threads are all vivid crimson color with a slightly lighter orange-red color on the tips. This indicates that it’s not cheap saffron that has been tinted red to look expensive
Aroma is strong and fresh.
No broken-off debris collected at the bottom of container.
No other yellow or white plant parts mixed in with the red threads.
Fresh and current season’s threads.
Persian Saffron threads are dry and brittle to the touch.
Other saffron:
Saffron threads displaying telltale dull brick red coloring which is indicative of age.
Aroma is musty.
Broken-off debris is collected at the containers bottom, indicative of age-related brittle dryness.
Yellow and white plant parts are not separated from the stigmas to add dead weight.
Not a current season threads.
Have moister trapped inside for adding dead weight
Leyli and Majnun: The Persian Immortal Love Story "Leyli and Majnun" is an immortal love story sometimes compared to "Romeo and Juliet" though it predates Shakespeare in oral tradition by more than 1,000 years. Today, it is still one of the most popular epics of the Middle East and Central Asia among Arabs, Turks, Persians, Afghans, Tajiks, Kurds, Indians, Pakistanis, and, of course Azerbaijanis. The most popular version of this love story "Leyli and Majnun" was penned by Nizami Ganjavi (1141-1209), who lived and died in Ganja, an ancient city in Azerbaijan where his shrine stands today. He wrote in Persian as was the literary custom of the day. The plot of the romance is simple. Qays falls in love with Leyli at school. He soon began to write beautiful love poems about Layla and he would read them out loud on street corners to anybody who would care to listen. Majnun (Qays) becomes obsessed with her, singing of his love for her in public. Such passionate displays of love and devotion and the obsession grows to the point that he sees and evaluates everything in terms of Leyli; hence his sobriquet “the possessed” (Majnun). Contemplating the image of Leyli increases his love so that he cannot eat or sleep. His only activity is thinking of Leyli and composing love songs for her.One day, Majnun found the courage to ask Layla’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage, but her father refused the request. Such a marriage, the father reasoned, would only cause a scandal. It would not be proper for his daughter to marry a person whom everybody called a madman. Instead, Layla was promised to another – an older man from a neighboring village. The Man Who Loved Too Much Majnun was overcome with grief and abandoned his
Leyli and Majnun: The Persian Immortal Love Story
“Leyli and Majnun” is an immortal love story sometimes compared to “Romeo and Juliet” though it predates Shakespeare in oral tradition by more than 1,000 years. Today, it is still one of the most popular epics of the Middle East and Central Asia among Arabs, Turks, Persians, Afghans, Tajiks, Kurds, Indians, Pakistanis, and, of course Azerbaijanis. The most popular version of this love story “Leyli and Majnun” was penned by Nizami Ganjavi (1141-1209), who lived and died in Ganja, an ancient city in Azerbaijan where his shrine stands today. He wrote in Persian as was the literary custom of the day.
The plot of the romance is simple. Qays falls in love with Leyli at school. He soon began to write beautiful love poems about Layla and he would read them out loud on street corners to anybody who would care to listen. Majnun (Qays) becomes obsessed with her, singing of his love for her in public. Such passionate displays of love and devotion and the obsession grows to the point that he sees and evaluates everything in terms of Leyli; hence his sobriquet “the possessed” (Majnun). Contemplating the image of Leyli increases his love so that he cannot eat or sleep. His only activity is thinking of Leyli and composing love songs for her. One day, Majnun found the courage to ask Layla’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage, but her father refused the request. Such a marriage, the father reasoned, would only cause a scandal. It would not be proper for his daughter to marry a person whom everybody called a madman. Instead, Layla was promised to another – an older man from a neighboring village.
The Man Who Loved Too Much
Majnun was overcome with grief and abandoned his home and family and disappeared into the wilderness where he lived a miserable life of solitude among the wild animals. It was in this wilderness that Majnun spent his days composing poems to his beloved. Layla was forced to marry this other man, although she did not love him because her heart still belonged to Majnun. But even though Layla did not love her husband, she was a loyal daughter and so remained a faithful wife. Meanwhile, Leyli is betrothed against her will but she guards her virginity by resisting her husband’s advances. While married, she does not share her bed with her husband and even secret arranges meetings with Majnun, and when they meet, they have no physical contact, rather they recite poetry to each other from a distance. The news of this marriage was devastating to Majnun who continued to live a life of solitude, refusing to return home to his mother and father in the city.
Love is known to be an overwhelming, all-consuming, intense passion. But just how intense can love be? No one knows the answer, and examples of such a love are rare. But whenever one talks about the depth of love, the intensity of passion, two names almost immediately come to mind – Laila and Majnun.
Majnun’s mother and father missed their son terribly and longed every day for his safe return. They would leave food for him at the bottom of the garden in the hopes that one day he would come back to them out of the desert. But Majnun remained in the wilderness, writing his poetry in solitude, never speaking to a single soul. Majnun spent all of his time alone, surrounded only by the animals of the wilderness that would gather around him and protect him during the long desert nights. He was often seen by travelers who would pass him on their way towards the city. The travelers said that Majnun spent his days reciting poetry to himself and writing in the sand with a long stick; they said that he truly was driven to madness by a broken heart.
Many years later, Majnun’s father and mother both passed away. Knowing of his devotion to his parents, Layla was determined to send Majnun word of their passing. Eventually she found an old man who claimed to have seen Majnun in the desert. After much begging and pleading the old man agreed to pass on a message to Majnun the next time he set off on his travels. One day, the old man did indeed cross paths with Majnun in the desert; there he solemnly delivered the news concerning the death of Majnun’s parents and was forced to witness what a terrible blow this was to the young poet.
Overcome with regret and loss, Majnun retreated inside of himself entirely and vowed to live in the desert until his own death. Some years later, Layla’s husband died. The young woman hoped that finally she would be with her one true love; that finally she and Majnun would be together forever. But sadly, this was not to be. Tradition demanded that Layla remain in her home alone to grieve for her dead husband for two whole years without seeing another soul. The thought of not being with Majnun for two more years was more than Layla could bear. Leyli and Majnun had been separated for a lifetime and two more years of solitude, two more years without seeing her beloved, was enough to cause the young woman to give up on life. Layla died of a broken heart, alone in her home without ever seeing Majnun again.
Leyli dies out of grief and is buried in her bridal dress. Hearing this news, Majnun rushes to her grave and there he wept and wept until he too surrendered to the impossible grief. They are buried side by side and their graves become a site of pilgrimage. In the coda, someone dreams that Leyli and Majnun are united in Paradise, living as a king and queen.
Nizami’s Voice – Leyli and Majnun
The following are some quotes taken from Nizami’s immortal poem “Leyli and Majnun”. This prose version has been adapted by Colin Turner and published by Blake in London, 1970 (ISBN 1-85782-1610).
The future is veiled from our eyes. The threads of each man’s fate extend well beyond the boundaries of the visible world. Where they lead, we cannot see. Who can say that today’s key will not be tomorrow’s lock, or today’s lock not tomorrow’s key? (page 3)
Dearest heart, if I had not given my soul to you, it would have been better to give it up for good, to lose it forever. I am burning in love’s fire; I am drowning in the tears of my sorrow. . . I am the moth that flies through the night to flutter around the candle flame. O invisible candle of my soul, do not torture me as I encircle you! You have bewitched me, you have robbed me of my sleep, my reason, my very being. (15)
Time passes, but true love remains. The life of this world is, for the most part, nothing but a succession of illusions and deceptions. But true love is real, and the flames which fuel it burn forever, without beginning or end. (31)
Every breeze that blows brings your scent to me; Every bird that sings calls out your name to me; Every dream that appears brings your face to me; Every glance at your face has left its trace with me. I am yours, I am yours, whether near or far; Your grief is mine, all mine, wherever you are.
