Why is Iran proud of its history?

Ali Larijani, Chairman of the Supreme Council of National Security of Iran, declared that Iran will "spare no effort" to "firmly defend" its "civilization with 6,000 years of history."

The cultural heritage of Iran reflects the glory and beauty of the golden age of the Persian Empire.

The value of Iran's cultural heritage is immeasurable – it has a rich and glorious history, and has had a profound impact on the world through art, architecture, poetry, science, medicine, philosophy, and engineering.

The Iranian people are well aware of this and are extremely proud of it. Archaeological heritage left by ancient and medieval Iranian civilizations stretches from the Mediterranean to India, spanning four millennia, from the Bronze Age (3,000 BC) to the glorious classical Islamic era, and the magnificent medieval cities of Isfahan and Shiraz during the prosperous period from the 9th to 12th centuries. Its influence goes far beyond this.

The direct influence of ancient Iranians extended across the Middle East, Caucasus and Turkey, the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt, as well as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.

In the 6th century BC, Iran was the birthplace of the first world empire. The Achaemenid Dynasty ruled a multicultural superpower whose territory stretched westward to Egypt and Anatolia, and eastward to India and Pakistan. All other ancient empires used the power of the Achaemenid Dynasty as a benchmark. Their cultural homeland is located in the present-day Fars province of Iran. The term 'Persian' comes from the homeland of the Achaemenid Dynasty – Pars, which is the general name for the Iranian people.

Some of the richest and most exquisite archaeological and historical heritage sites of Iran still remain there. These include Parsgardae, the first capital of the Achaemenid Dynasty. King Cyrus (c. 590–529 BC) laid the legal foundations here and issued the first universal declaration of human rights, ruling over a multitude of different cultures.

Nearby is the magnificent site of Persepolis, the palace of the Achaemenid Dynasty kings, and also the political and administrative center at that time. The architectural style of Persepolis is breathtaking, and its decorated reliefs continue to amaze visitors today.

Iran During the Seleucid and Parthian Periods

In the 4th century BC, the Achaemenid Dynasty was defeated by the army of Alexander the Great, leading to great upheaval, one of the most extraordinary moments in human history. The fusion of Persian culture with Eastern Mediterranean culture gave rise to the Hellenistic era. The Macedonian king Seleucus (died 281 BC) and his Persian wife Apama ruled a mixed kingdom that combined Greek, Persian, Jewish, Bactrian, Armenian, Sogdian, and Aramean cultures and religions.

With the emergence of new cities, new religions, and new cultures, this cultural melting pot promoted prosperity and connectivity, linking urban centers in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Syria (many Hellenistic sites in Syria, such as Apamea, have been damaged in recent years due to war and looting). The city of Ctesiphon (Tayyeb), located on the banks of the Tigris River in present-day Iraq, south of Baghdad, was the capital of the West and a center of scholarship, culture, and power for a thousand years.

In the second century BC, the Hellenistic rulers were succeeded by the Parthian kings, and the region was then ruled by the Arsacid Dynasty. The homeland of the Arsacid Dynasty was near Nisa, in the northern part of the Iranian world. The Parthian Empire witnessed an increasing closeness between East and West, and the Silk Road became increasingly busy. Their control over this trade route led to conflicts with the Romans, who expanded eastward in an attempt to gain part of the trade benefits.

This was also a period of religious transformation, witnessing not only the rise of Buddhism but also the flourishing of Zoroastrianism, which intertwined with Judaism and the emerging Christianity. In the biblical story of the birth of Christ, originally three wise men - bringing gifts to worship Jesus - while the Persian priests from Iran stood by the child Messiah, and the astronomers followed the comet.

The Sassanid Dynasty

The last great ancient kingdom of Iran was the Sassanid Dynasty, which arose in the 3rd century, during the late period of the Arsacid Dynasty. The Sassanid Dynasty ruled a vast geopolitical entity, from 224 AD to 751 AD. They built numerous cities and borders within the empire, including the magnificent Gorgan Wall. This border wall stretched from the Caspian Sea to the mountains in Turkmenistan, a length of 195 kilometers, built in the 5th century, intended to protect Iran's agricultural heartland from invasions by northern tribes such as the Huns.

The wall is an engineering marvel made of fired bricks, with a complex network of canals running through it. It once spanned the plains, with more than 30 fortresses, garrisoned by thousands of soldiers.

The Sassanid Dynasty was the last dynasty before the arrival of Islam in Iran. In the 7th century, the armies of the Rashidun Caliphate conquered the Sassanid Empire, bringing Islam to Iran and absorbing a large amount of culture and thought from the ancient Iranian world. This fusion contributed to the flourishing development of early medieval Islam. Among the 22 sites in Iran listed by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan (Masjed-e Jāmé), built in the 9th century, is one of the most astonishing and influential mosques ever constructed.

This was a period of vigorous development in science, art, and literature. Poetry flourished, and troubadours sang of the heroic achievements of ancient Iran in medieval courts. These stories may have spread to Western Europe during the Crusades, illustrating the profound influence of ancient and medieval Iranian culture.

The cultural heritage of Iran does not have fixed geographical or cultural boundaries; its roots belong to the world and reflect the profound impact of Iranians on the development of the modern world. Iran's past will never be erased from the cultural map of the world, because it has deeply integrated into humanity itself.

Source: theconversation

Author: Eve McDonald

Original: toutiao.com/article/1858645021865178/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.