‪The Birth of Rostam (Rustam) by caesarean section

NOW the son of Zal was born, Rudabeh was sore afflicted, and neither by day nor night could she find rest. Then Zal in his trouble bethought him of the Simorgh, his nurse, and how she had given unto him a feather that he might use it in the hour of his need. And he cast the feather into the fire as she had commanded, and straightway a sound of rushing wings filled the air, and the sky was darkened and the bird of God stood before Zal. And she said unto him: "O my son, wherefore art thou troubled, and why are the eyes of this lion wet with tears?" Then he told her of his sorrow, and she bade him be of good cheer, "For verily thy nurse who shielded thee, and reared thee when thy father cast thee out, is come yet again to succour thee." And she told him how he should act, and when she had done speaking she Turned her once more towards her nest. But Zal did as she had commanded, and there was born to him a son comely of limb. And when Rudabeh beheld the babe, she smiled and said: "Verily he shall be called Rostam (which, being interpreted, meaneth delivered), for I am delivered of my pains." And all the land was glad that a son was come unto Zal the hero, and the sounds of feasting and joy were heard throughout its breadth. This picture is a scene from Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Rudabeh gives birth to Rustam by caesarean section through her side. The man in the image is a mobed, a Zoroastrian priest, physician and surgeon (cf. magus)‬

gold silver ibex

‪Achaemenid foiled gold silver ibex, Iran Approximately 600 years BC‬

‪Hormoz Island Displays World's Largest Soil Carpet

The soil carpet covering an area of 1200 square meters is made of 70 different colors of soil, Twenty five artists from Hormozgan Province collaborated on the 10-day project that began November 29. They used the rare colorful soil of the island in making the soil carpet. Before this project, the world's largest soil carpet was made on the Canary Island and measured.‬

‪Nutrition and Yin-Yang

The concept of yin-yang is similar to the Zoroastrian concept of 'the two' as a fundamental feature of creation. While in matters of ethics - right and wrong, good and bad - Zoroastrianism guiding principles require making a choice between one or the other, in aspects of healing, health, diet and nutrition, Zoroastrianism precepts are similar to those suggested by the yin-yang discipline. In orthodox Yazdi communities, healings foods such as the aush stew are prepared with the view of maintaining or restoring the balance of 'hot' and 'cold' in the body. Foods are classified as being 'hot' and 'cold' and those who are familiar with this traditional knowledge will recommend the right kind of food to heal a person. This concept applies to herbal remedies as well. Herbs are an essential ingredient of all traditional Zoroastrian Iranian foods. A spiritual element is added when a prayer is said over the foods - a practice followed at traditional Yazdi Gahanbars (The seasonal festivals, called gahambars -meaning "proper season"-, occur six times a year.) and Jashnes(ceremonies).‬

Nature of Hormoz Island

‪ Hormoz or Hormuz island is a small island in the Persian Gulf that belongs to Persia. Hormoz Island has many attractions. It has many colorful mountains- colored earth, multicolored stones and and some salt cave. Beauty of nature, kindness of indigenous people who live in the Island can be a reason for tourists to make this their vacation spot during the winter. The climate in this Island is extremely favorable in the months during late autumn and winter.‬

Caesarean

‪In the Shahnameh , Ferdowsi mentions a mobed using a knife of blue steel to deliver the legendary Rustam by caesarean section, and his mother Rudabeh being given a healing drink of milk and plants (cf. haoma) with the dried residue placed on the stitched cut as a dressing. The verse from the Shahnameh reads: Simorgh's (the mythical giant bird) advice to Zal: "Bring a blue-steel dagger and Seek an accomplished surgeon. Calm the lady first with wine to ease her pain and fear, Then let the physician ply his craft And take the lion from its lair By piercing her waist while she is unconscious. Then to stop the bleeding, stitch up the cut. Put trouble, care, and fear aside, and Rub with milk and musk a plant that I will show you And dry them in the shade (cf. haoma). Dress and anoint Rudabeh's wound and Watch her come to life." While every one looked on amazedly With wounded spirit and with bloodshot eyes. Sindukht, the royal maid, Wept tears of blood in torrents, asking: "How can the infant come forth through the side?" There came a mobed, one deft of hand, Who made the moon-faced lady bemused with wine, Then pierced her side while she was all unconscious, And having turned the infant's head aright Delivered her enormous babe uninjured. None had seen a thing so strange. A day and night the mother lay asleep, Bemused, and unconscious. The cut on her side had been sown up And her anguish relieved by the dressing.‬

The 6000 years old kiss from Iran

‪An eternal kiss, The 6000 years old kiss! The Lovers’ from 1972 season at Hasanlu Hasanlu is an archaeological excavation site in Iran, Western Azerbaijan, Solduz Valley. Theses skeletons were found in a Bin with no objects. The only feature is a stone slab under the head of the skeleton on the left hand side.‬

‪Historical maps with reference to the Persian Gulf

Asia by Heinrich Bunting - The work uses the phrase Persicus Sinus(Persian Gulf) c. 1590 Heinrich Bunting (1545 – 1606) was a Protestant pastor and theologian. He is best known for his book of woodcut maps titled Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae (Travel book through Holy Scripture) first published in 1581. The title of this map is Asia Secunda Pars Terrae in Forma Pegasir (‘Asia, the Second Part of the Earth, in the Form of Pegasus‘). The winged horse of Greek mythology is the son of Poseidon and Medusa, was tamed by Athena and became the horse of the Muses. This obviously pagan origin of the image makes its appearance in a Holy Land travel book a bit of a mystery. Persia is delineated by the saddle-cloth: the left foreleg curves back on itself to contain the Persian Gulf.‬

Jiroft Ziggurat

‪The Jiroft Ziggurat with an area of 16 Hectares which makes it three times bigger than the Biggest Egyptian Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) Is North Konar Sandal a ziggurat? A ziggurat is a temple-tower commonly believed to be of the Sumerian origin. Dr. Madjidzadeh has dated this structure to 2300 BC. Two superimposed platforms are located on the mound Konar Sandal North (Madjidzadeh, 2008, pp. 88-89). The upper structure measures 250 x 250 m and the lower 400 x 400 m. While opinions are divided among scholars whether the ziggurat like structure in Jiroft is a true ziggurat with such an early dating, the accompanying picture compares the measurements of the Biggest Egyptian Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) with an area of 52900 sq.mt. or 5.29 ha to the Jiroft Ziggurat with an area of 160000 sq.mt or 16 ha, making it three times bigger than Cheops (Khufu).‬

chamrosh

The chamrosh is a Persian bird with the body of a dog. Like it’s more famous cousin, the Simurgh (or Senmurv), the chamrosh lives at the peak of Mount Alburz, under the Haoma or Hōm tree, sometimes known as the Harvisptokhm, or “tree of all seeds.” This tree is the source of all the seeds found throughout the world. Whenever the Simurgh takes off or lands on her roost, the seeds of the tree fall to the ground, where the chamrosh gathers them for distribution. The creature uses wings and body to sweep the varied seeds into the heavenly Vourukasha Sea. From there the seeds would be taken up into clouds and rained down upon the Earth. According to the Avesta, it is also charged with the protection of Persia. Every three years, the chamrosh is sent by an angel to snatch invaders and drop them from mountaintops to protect the land. Some accounts claim that the chamrosh is the archetype of all birds, and the ruler of all avifauna. However, it is more common to see the Simurgh given this role. As the chamrosh is less well-known and bears a strong resemblance to early depictions of the larger creature, it is possible that the attributes of the two creatures is being mixed up. In more recent stories of the Simurgh, the chamrosh is completely removed, and the function of distributing seeds is achieved through the flapping of her wings. It is possible that she inherited the other abilities and responsibilites of the chamrosh as the mythology changed and the chamrosh faded into obscurity.‬

‪Persian Achaemenid Golden Lion

‪Persian Achaemenid Golden Lion - Approximately 500 B.C. - 23k Gold A winged Lion (or griffin) as depicted in Achaemenid arts. used as decoration on top of flag pole carried by the Persian cavallry in battle. As noted by Darius Kadivar, this image was falsely depicted as a “Roman” symbol in the blockbuster movie, Gladiator starring Russell Crowe.‬

Oramanat Takht Village-Kurdistan

‪ "Ouraman" that its pronunciation is "Houraman" in Kurdish language, is a village located 65 km. from the eastern south of "Marivan" city. It is located in a valley on steep slope overlooking the northern front of Takht Mountains. The houses are arranged such that the roof of one house is the courtyard of the other. This beautiful village has a moderate and mountainous climate and unique nature. Stair-formed architecture of village is the most interesting attraction for tourism.‬

An old Persian Earning

Late 5th to early 4th century B.C.; Achaemenid Dynasty; Gold and faience; 7.7 x 5.3 cm Many of the Persian courtiers and delegates on the reliefs of Persepolis are shown wearing elaborate earrings. This earring, probably from Susa (the southern administrative capital of the empire), is characteristic of jewelry of this period. When in motion, the beads tremble like a tiny chandelier and the gold surfaces brilliantly reflect the light.‬

Seated Ducks Gold

‪Achaemenid Gold Bracelet with Inlaid Termini in the Form of Seated Ducks Gold with lapis lazuli, turquoise, onyx, and rock crystal inlay, mid-6th-4th century B.C.E., W. 10.5 cm. The jeweler of this bracelet chose ducks as terminal figures and combined them with a rather heavy looking circlet that can be opened. The ducks were fashioned separately, and all the feathers and the eyes were originally characterized by inlays. The ducks' bills are not preserved. The birds are fixed to a single massive tubular circlet, which originally had colored inlays at the junction between the ducks. The use of colored inlays for the details of the feathering is a feature of Egyptianizing tendencies in Achaemenid craftsmanship. Though the "Great Kings" are known to have employed Egyptian craftsmen, the use of this technique does not necessarily imply that the jeweler was an Egyptian, because the technique was widely used on objects of truly Achaemenid style. The choice of animal is interesting as ducks are rare among the animals on Achaemenid bracelets or torques. It should be noted that this rather exceptional motif was used on no less than three bracelets now in the Shumei collection and that all of these pieces have a rather sturdy appearance, whereas Achaemenid jewelers usually preferred a much more slender concept. All these aspects add up to a highly remarkable picture that considerably widens our conception of Near Eastern jewelry. Although details like the turned-back heads of the birds or the depiction of complete animals instead of simply heads or protomes (foreparts) reflect Achaemenid conventions, the rather naturalistic articulation and coloration of the feathering is definitely not in keeping with the ornamental standards of Achaemenid art. Exceptions are always possible, but it should be noted that the idea of parting the bracelet vertically between the sitting birds is reminiscent of second-century B.C. Hellenistic bracelets fashioned in truly Greek style. This piece may suggest that the Hellenistic concept could have been derived from much older Achaemenid prototypes, but it seems not entirely impossible that this and the following bracelet actually belong to a group of Achaemenizing objects that draw heavily on Achaemenid conventions but were manufactured after the breakdown of the Achaemenid Empire.‬

‪Bronze Ibex

‪Bronze Ibex from Achaemenid Dynasty (550-330 BCE) This design of an ibex is so stunning and for me is reminiscent of animal worship throughout the ancient world. The ibex is widely present in archeological records. Particularly in the Near East and Mediterranean regions.‬

Persian mother goddess, Anahita

This day is sacred to the ancient Persian mother goddess, Anahita. She was the goddess of all the waters...rivers, streams, lakes, and the sea, as well as the life-giving fluids of mankind, such as semen and mother's milk. Rivers and lakes were sacred to her, as they were thought to be the waters of birth. She is depicted as a beautiful young woman with full breasts. She is dressed in golden robes complete with jewels and a halo crown. One of the earliest of the great mothers, Her titles include Golden Mother and Immaculate One. Anahita originated in Babylon, traveled throughout Asia Minor, Egypt, and India. She was identified with the planet Venus and was possibly descended from Ishtar, the chief goddess of the region in the pre-lndo-European era. Anahita was also the patroness of women and the goddess of war who rides in a chariot drawn by four white horses. Along with Mithra and Verethragna, She lost much of Her power during Zoroastrian period but She did not completely disappear. May Ahura Mazda be rejoiced!.... Ashem Vohu: Holiness is the best of all good.... I confess myself a worshipper of Mazda, a follower of Zarathushtra, one who hates the Daevas and obeys the laws of Ahura; For sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification unto [Hawan], the holy and master of holiness.... Unto the good Waters, made by Mazda; unto the holy water-spring ARDVI ANAHITA; unto all waters, made by Mazda; unto all plants, made by Mazda, Be propitiation, with sacrifice, prayer, propitiation, and glorification. Yatha ahu vairyo: The will of the Lord is the law of holiness....

‪Ovan lake

Ovan lake (also known as Evan lake) is a small alpine lake in Alamut region of Arburz range, in Qazvin province of Iran. The only tributary that flows into the lake, is a stream with the same name, Ovan, coming down from northern mounts. The north of the lake is also surrounded by three small villages, namely from east to west: Varbon, Ovan and Zar-abaad.‬

This is a picture of Simurgh, Sassanian Royal Symbol‬

‪Simurgh - pt.1 aka: simorgh, simurg, simoorg, simourv, Angha Simurg is the modern Persian name for a benevolent, mythical flying creature. The simurgh is depicted in Iranian art as a winged creature in the shape of a bird, gigantic enough to carry off an elephant or a whale. It appears as a kind of peacock with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion; sometimes however also with a human face. The simurgh is inherently benevolent and unambiguously female. Being part mammal, she suckles her young. It has an enmity towards snakes and its natural habitat is a place with plenty of water. Its feathers are said to be the colour of copper, and though it was originally described as being a Dog-Bird, later it was shown with either the head of a man or a dog The figure can be found in all periods of Greater Iranian art and literature. the Byzantine empire, and other regions that were within the sphere of Persian cultural influence. The mythical bird is also found in the mythology of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia and is called Kerkés, Semrug, Semurg, Samran and Samruk. The name simurgh derives from Middle Persian Pahlavi sēnmurw (and earlier sēnmuruγ), also attested in Middle Persian Pāzand as sīna-mrū. The Middle Persian term derives in turn from Avestan mərəγō Saēnō "the bird Saēna", originally a raptor, likely an eagle, falcon or sparrowhawk, as can be deduced from the etymological cognate Sanskrit śyenaḥ "raptor, eagle, bird of prey" that also appears as a divine figure. Saēna is also a personal name which is root of the name. This is a picture of Simurgh, Sassanian Royal Symbol‬

Persian Gulf

‪Historical maps with reference to the Persian Gulf - (n.18) Map of Asia by Jan Huygen Van Linschoten - The work uses the phrase Persicus Sinus(Persian Gulf) c. 1596 Jan Huyghen van Linschoten (1563 – 8 February 1611) was a Dutch Protestant merchant, traveller and historian. An alternative spelling of his second name is Huijgen. He is credited with publishing important information about Asian trade, such as the navigational routes that enabled the passage to the elusive East Indies to be opened to the English and the Dutch. This enabled the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company to break the 16th century monopoly enjoyed by the Portuguese on trade with the East Indies.‬

‪Simurgh

‪Simurgh - pt.2
 "Si-", the first element in the name, has been connected in folk etymology to Modern Persian si "thirty". Although this prefix is not historically related to the origin of the name simurgh, "thirty" has nonetheless been the basis for legends incorporating that number, for instance, that the simurgh was as large as thirty birds or had thirty colours. Iranian legends consider the bird so old that it had seen the destruction of the World three times over. The simurgh learned so much by living so long that it is thought to possess the knowledge of all the Ages. In one legend, the simurgh was said to live 1,700 years before plunging itself into flames (much like the phoenix). The simurgh was considered to purify the land and waters and hence bestow fertility. The creature represented the union between the earth and the sky, serving as mediator and messenger between the two. The simurgh roosted in Gaokerena, the Hōm (Avestan: Haoma) Tree of Life, which stands in the middle of the world sea Vourukhasa. The plant is potent medicine, is called all-healing, and the seeds of all plants are deposited on it. When the simurgh took flight, the leaves of the tree of life shook making all the seeds of every plant to fall out. These seeds floated around the world on the winds of Vayu-Vata and the rains of Tishtrya, in cosmology taking root to become every type of plant that ever lived, and curing all the illnesses of mankind.‬