The Display of Cyrus After 38 Years of Isolation

Although school history books speak well of him - unlike many other kings in Iranian history - and have reserved the name 'Cyrus the Great' for him, the personal contribution of the individual who bears the title of the founder of the ancient Iranian empire has been limited to just a few pages in these books over the years following the revolution. However, this has not deterred many Iranians from seeking their historical identity and valuing it. One of the greatest witnesses to this claim was the gathering of thousands of Iranians at the tomb of the first Achaemenid king on the seventh of Aban, a day unofficially designated as 'Cyrus Day'; a gathering that formed without centralized planning and merely as part of grassroots social movements. Despite the government's efforts to prevent it, thousands managed to reach Pasargadae to chant slogans such as: 'Cyrus is our father, Iran is our homeland.' All of this is despite the fact that the main focus of educational texts and media and propaganda programs over the past nearly four decades has been significantly directed towards religious 'values' rather than national-historical identity. What does Cyrus symbolize for Iranians and what is his significance? Is the issue of cultural identity at play, or is there a political message hidden in the gathering of thousands at his tomb? Why, 38 years after the 'Islamic' revolution, is the founder of the Iranian monarchy considered their 'father'? In this program, you will hear analyses from sociologist Hossein Ghazian, researcher and author of the book 'Cyrus the Great' Touraj Daryaee, and political activist Ghasem Shole Saadi, alongside the opinions of Radio Farda's audience.