Exploring its use (and misuse) over the centuries as political propaganda, loot, and even fodder in the international art market. Introduction Illustrated manuscripts are one of the glories of Persian art, especially those made during the heyday of production from the fourteenth century to the sixteenth century. The most popular text was the Shahnama, or[…]
Cyrus conquered the Medes and established one of the largest empires of the ancient world, the Persian Empire. Introduction Could a newborn infant be a threat to a king? According to an ancient legend, the baby who grew up to be King Cyrus the Great of Persia was indeed a threat. Cyrus, the legend says,[…]
Safavid art and architecture reflected the adoption of a Shi’a identity. Introduction to the Safavid Dynasty: Rise and Empire Brilliantly painted manuscripts. Exquisitely detailed miniatures. Fine silks. Complex, ornate palaces. The art of the Safavids is simply magnificent. The Safavids were a dynastic family that ruled over modern-day Iran. They sustained one of the longest[…]
Briefly introducing the Sasanian Empire through a handful of key monuments. The Royal Hunter A rider pulls back the taut string of a bow with his right hand and aims an arrow towards two fleeing mountain rams with his left (image above). The chase is fast; the rams sprint forward with the rider’s horse galloping[…]
From their earliest days of the Achaemenid Empire, the Persians introduced a number of novel concepts in innovations and inventions. Introduction Ancient Persian culture exerted a powerful influence throughout the Near East, and beyond, for over a thousand years between c. 550 BCE – 651 CE and many aspects of their culture continued to influence[…]
Figure 1: Greek Colonization of western Asia Minor / Image by Alexikoua, Wikimedia Commons The development of naval supremacy and of democracy became interdependent. In the period of about 600–480 BCE, Ionian colonists emigrated from Attica to the Aegean coast of Asia Minor, which is modern Turkey [1]. There they inhabited a narrow coastal strip from[…]
A general overview of the ruins at Miletos / Photo by John Hansen, Wikimedia Commons It can be argued that this mistake set into movement the events that created and preserved Western culture as we know it today. By Bill Fawcett Historian It can be argued that this mistake set into movement the events that[…]
Iran has one of the richest art heritages in the world and is home to a number of art traditions and skills. By Afzal Ibrahim / 07.14.2017 Introduction Iran has been in the limelight for various reasons, some of them being nuclear deal conflicts and cultural invasions. The advent of internet and technology has allowed the world[…]
Tachara Palace of Darius I, Ancient Persepolis / Photo by Hansueli Krapf, Wikimedia Commons The Persians serve an almost unique function in the Western narrative. By Dr. Ali M. Ansari / 01.16.2015 Professor of History University of St. Andrews ran has long had a difficult relationship with the West. Ever since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 overthrew the[…]
Growth of the Achaemenid Empire under different kings / Wikimedia Commons The great audience hall of the Persian kings Darius and Xerxes presents a visual microcosm of the Achaemenid empire. By Dr. Jeffrey A. Becker / 01.24.2016 Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Studies Binghamton University Introduction Kylix depicting a Greek hoplite slaying a Persian inside, by[…]
Darius, relief from the Central Relief of the Northern Stairs of the Apadana, Persepolis When Darius became king in 522 BCE, the Persian empire was in great turmoil. By Jona Lendering / 05.06.2018 Historian and Founder Livius Onderwijs Introduction Darius I (Old Persian Dârayavauš) was king of ancient Persia, whose reign lasted from 522 to[…]
Wikimedia Commons Through his Cyropaedia, Cyrus’s notions of human rights influenced the U.S. Constitution—Thomas Jefferson owned two copies of this text. Edited by Matthew A. McIntosh / 08.27.2018 Introduction Cyrus (Old Persian Kourosh or Khorvash, modern Persian: کوروش, Kourosh) (ca. 576 – July 529 B.C.E.), also known as Cyrus the Great and Cyrus II of[…]
Inscription of Xerxes, Van, Turkey: It is a trilingual inscription, written in Old Persian, Babylonian and Elamite (from left to right). / Photo by John Hill, Wikimedia Commons As an heir , Xerxes was trained to be emperor. 08.08.2017 King of Kings Xerxes was the oldest son of Darius I, and the offspring of the[…]
Drunken Alcibiades interrupting the Symposium, by Pietra Testa, 1648 / Wikimedia Commons By Mark Cartwright / 02.08.2013 Alcibiades (or Alkibiades) was a gifted and flamboyant Athenian statesman and general whose shifting of sides during the Peloponnesian War in the 5th century BCE earned him a reputation for cunning and treachery. Good looking and rich, he was also notorious for his extravagant lifestyle[…]
Plaque with a Priest from the Oxus Treasure, 500–330 B.C., Achaemenid. Gold, 5 7/8 x 2 15/16 in. The British Museum. Image courtesy of and © The Trustees of the British Museum (2013). All rights reserved Looking closely at the objects displayed with the Cyrus Cylinder to find symbols of the ancient religion of Persia—Zoroastrianism.[…]
A relief with a representation of Persian King Xerxes I. 5th century BCE, Persepolis. By Dr. Joshua J. Mark / 03.14.2018 Professor of Philosophy Marist College Introduction Xerxes I (ruled 486-465 BCE), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the king of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. His official title was Shahanshah which, though usually translated as `emperor’, actually means `king of kings’.[…]
“Wanderer above the sea of fog” (ca. 1818), Caspar David Friedrich (1774–1840). Image via Wikimedia Commons. By Dr. Gregory Nagy / 03.13.2015 Francis Jones Professor of Classical Greek Literature Professor of Comparative Literature Director of the Center for Hellenic Studies Harvard University Introduction What do you first think of when we hear the words Iranian[…]
Syrians bearing tribute to Darius the Great of Persia / Wikimedia Commons By Dr. Lori Khatchadourian Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Studies Cornell University Introduction Hushang ascended the throne after his grandfather and declared himself the king of the seven realms. During the forty years of his reign, Hushang spread justice and enriched the world[…]