Twenty Symbols of Iran by Michael Craig Hillmann

Twenty+ Symbols of Iran and Iranians unedited draft

locations:

Tehrân Mt. Damâvand (north of Tehrân) Shirâz (southern Iran) Pâsârgâd (near Shirâz) Persepolis (near Shirâz)

Naqsh-e Rostam (near Shirâz) Ctesiphon (eastern Iraq) Mashhad (northeast Iran) Tus (near Mashhad) Hamadân (western Iran) Konya (Anatolia, Turkey) Tabriz (northwest Iran) Herât (western Afghanistan)

Ardabil (east of Tabriz) Esfahân (central Iran)

When many Iranians hear the word “Iran,” the first images that come to mind are such physical, topographical features of their country as: • land bridge • crossroads • high plateau • mountains • mountain foothills • plains • salt deserts • Caspian littoral • Gulf littoral • preciousness of water • brown landscape • wide, forbidding vistas • springtime greenness • gardens and Iran’s lengthy history.

paintings by Parviz Kalântari and Sohrâb Sepehri

2,500 Years of Iranian History: Rulers from 559 BCE to 2015 CE

• Achaemenids, 559-330 BCE • Conquest by Alexander, 330 BCE • Seleucids, 312-191 BCE • Arsacids (of Parthia), 247 BCE-224 CE • Sâsânids, 224-651 CE seal of • Arab Muslim Conquest, 630s Achaemenid Emperor Darius • Umayyid Caliphs, 661-750 the Great, ruled • ‘Abbâsid Caliphs, 750-1258 522-486 BCE • Tâherids and Saffârids • Sâmânids, 819-999 • Ghaznavids, 997-1040 • Saljuqs, 1035-1153 • Khârazmshâhs, 1077-1131 • Mongol conquest, 1220-1258 • Il-Khânids, 1256-1335+ painting of • Timurids, 1370-1500 Safavid monarch • Safavids, 1501-1722 Shâh Abbâs the • Afghans, early 18th century Great, ruled • Afshârids, 1736-1747 1571-1729 CE • Zands, 1757-1779 • Qâjârs, 1795-1921/6 • Pahlavis, 1921/6-1979 • Islamic Republic, 1979-

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 Mount Damâvand 2 Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) 3 The Cyrus Cylinder 4 Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icons at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE at Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Reza (d. 818) in Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Shâhnâmeh Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020) 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11 Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12 Persian Miniature Paintings, 13th to 21st Centuries 13 Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) in Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1529-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum, London 15 Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17th century) 16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran etc., 10th to 21st century 17 Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19th into the 21st century 19 Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971), Tehrân 20 Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

1.1 Mt. Damâvand North of Tehrân

1.2 • People living on the Iranian plateau usually see mountains in the distance and think of mountains as part of their Iranian personality and consciousness. • A favorite recreational activity in Iran is hiking in the mountains. • Snow in the mountains is an indispensable source of water that underground channels bring to Iranian villages, towns, and cities. • Iranian epic stories have much to do with mountains. Two examples: Giyomars, the first king of the world, lived in the mountains; and a mythical bird called Simorgh raised Rostam’s father Zâl in the mountains.

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 Mount Damâvand

2 Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) 3 The Cyrus Cylinder 4 Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icon at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE at Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818) in Mashhad 9 Tomb of theShâhnâmeh Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11 Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273)in Konya (Turkey) 12 Persian Miniature Paintings, 13 th to 21st Centuries 13 Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) in Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540) in Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15 Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) 16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran etc., 10 th to 21st century 17 Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century 19 Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20 Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Many Iranians view the Persian Iranian Achaemenid Empire as the world’s first great empire and as testimony to the distinctive achievements and worth of their culture.

2.1 Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) at Pasargad, 25 miles from Persepolis and also not far from Shirâz.

• Although it is not monumental in size, Cyrus’s exhibits a mountain shape that suggests that Cyrus’s body and soul are above and beyond the earth. That same suggestion results from the realization that Cyrus is buried above ground.

2.2 An Iranian postage stamp issued on the occasion of the 1,000th-anniversary of the life of the philosopher/scientist Avicenna (c.980-1037)â&#x20AC;&#x201C;see Slides 10.1-3.

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness

1 Mount Damâvand 2 Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE)

3 The Cyrus Cylinder 4 Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icon at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE, Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818) in Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11 Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12 Persian Miniature Paintings, 13th to 21st Centuries 13 Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) in Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15 Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17th century) 16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran etc., 10 th to 21st century 17 Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19th into the 21st century

3.1 Cyrus the Greatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Peace Cylinder

â&#x20AC;˘ Heralded by many Iranians as the first ever declaration of human rights, this cylinder reports the words of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (r. 559-530 BCE), who, among other accomplishments, ended the Babylonian Captivity of the Jews.

3.2

â&#x20AC;˘ An Iranian postage stamp depicting the Cyrus Cylinder and issued on the occasion of the 1971 celebration of 2,500 years of Iranian monarchy. â&#x20AC;˘ An English translation of particularly relevant parts of the Cyrus Cylinder follows.

3.3 (1) Marduk, king of the whole of heaven and earth, (12) seeking for the upright king of

his choice…took the hand of Cyrus, king of the city of Anshan, and called him by his name, proclaiming him aloud for the kingship over all of everything. (13) He made the land of Guti and all the Median troops prostrate themselves at his feet, while he shepherded in justice and righteousness the black-headed people (14) whom he had put under his care. Marduk, the great lord, who nurtures his people, saw with pleasure his fine deeds and true heart, (15) and ordered that he should go to Babylon. (18) All the people of…all Sumer and Akkad, nobles and governors, bowed down before him and kissed his feet, rejoicing over his kingship and their faces shone. (19) The lord through whose help all were rescued from death and who saved them all from distress and hardship, they blessed him sweetly and praised his name. (20) I am Cyrus, king of the universe, the great king, the powerful king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters of the world. (22) When I went as harbinger of peace into Babylon, (23) I founded my sovereign residence within the palace amid celebration and rejoicing. Marduk, the great lord, bestowed on me as my destiny the great magnanimity of one who loves Babylon, and I every day sought him out in awe. (24) My vast troops were marching peaceably in Babylon, and the whole of Sumer and Akkad had nothing to fear. (25) I sought the safety of the city of Babylon and all its sanctuaries. As for the population of Babylon…, who as if without divine intention had endured a yoke not decreed for them, (26) I soothed their

3.5 weariness; I freed them from their bonds. Marduk, the great lord, rejoiced at my good deeds, (27) and he pronounced a sweet blessing over me, Cyrus, the king who fears him, (28) that we might live happily in his presence, in well-being. At his exalted command, all kings who sit on thrones, (29) from every quarter (30) brought their weighty tribute into Shuanna, and kissed my feet. From Shuanna I sent back to their places, (31) as far as the border of the land of Guti–the sanctuaries across the river Tigris–whose shrines had earlier become dilapidated, (32) the gods who lived therein, and made permanent sanctuaries for them. I collected together all of their people and returned them to their settlements, (33) and the gods of the land of Sumer and Akkad which Nabonidus…had brought into Shuanna, at the command of Marduk, the great lord, (34) I returned them unharmed to their cells, in the sanctuaries that make them happy. May all the gods that I returned to their sanctuaries, (35) every day before Bel and Nabu, ask for a long life for me, and mention my good deeds, and say to Marduk, my lord, this: “Cyrus, the king who fears you, and Cambyses his son, (36) may they be the provisioners of our shrines until distant days, and the population of Babylon call blessings on my kingship. I have enabled all the lands to live in peace.” (44) May Marduk, the great lord, present to me as a gift a long life and the fullness of age, (45) a secure throne and an enduring reign. Excerpted from Irving Finkel’s translation at

www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/articles/c/cyrus_cylinder__translation.aspx 14

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 Mount Damâvand 2 Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) 3 The Cyrus Cylinder

4 Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icon at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE, Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11 Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12 Persian Miniature Paintings, 13 th to 21st Centuries 13 Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15 Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) 16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran etc., 10 th to 21st century 17 Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century 19 Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20 Milâd Tower in Tehrân,built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

4.1

The Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis where construction began in 518 BCE. Alexander the Great and his forces destroyed Persepolis in 330 BCE

4.2

Persepolis from the Air

4.3 • God • King • Empire • Garden • Stone trees • Spring • Eclecticism • Internationalism

4.4 A Mede and a Persian in a bas relief at the Achaemenid ruins at Persepolis

â&#x20AC;˘ A 1970 postage stamp commemorating the 2,500th Anniversary of the establishment of the Achaemenid Iranian Empire in 559 BCE, its image suggesting the special status of Persianness.

A postage stamp issued on the 2,500th anniversary of the Achaemenid Empire

4.5

â&#x20AC;˘ A cylinder depicting Achaemenid King Darius I (r. 522-486 BCE) hunting the king of beasts, an image of the Zoroastrian guardian angel called faravahar overhead.

5 Faravahar Icons at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE, Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11 Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12 Persian Miniature Paintings, 13 th to 21st Centuries 13 Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15 Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) 16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 17 Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century 19 Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20 Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

5.1 Faravahar

5.2

An Iranian postage stamp depicting a Persepolis scene of the enthroned Iranian monarch supported by the people and blessed or given grace or favor by God in the form of the image of the guardian angel called Faravahar above the king. • God • king • anonymous people

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

Mount Damâvand Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) The Cyrus Cylinder Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icons at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE at Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12Persian Miniature Paintings, 13th to 21st Centuries 13Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz 14Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17th century) 16Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 17Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18Lion and Sun Motif from the 19th into the 21st century 19Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images, such as the rock-face relief of Sâsânid monarch Ardashir I and Âhuramazdå.

Rock-face relief of Sasanid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE at Naqsh-e Rostam, located about 7 miles northwest of Persepolis

7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) Persian Miniature Paintings, 13 th to 21st Centuries Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân Milâd Tower in Tehrân ,built in 2008

7.1

Ruins of the capital city of the Sâsânids (ruled 224-651 CE) at Ctesiphon by the Tigris River in Iraq

7.2

A commemorative Iranian postage stamp depicting the Sâsânid ruins at Ctesiphon. The Sâsânid Empire came to an end at the hands of invading Muslim Arabs in the 630s and 640s, which resulted in the Islamification of the Iranian region and a dualistic Iranian culture that pays at least lip service to both pre-Islamic Iranian lore and to an Arabized medieval Islamic Iranian culture, the subject of a famous poem by Khâqâni.

7.3 “Ode to Ctesiphon” by Khâqâni (1127-1186/99) 1 2 3 3 4 5 6 7 8

Take care, o heedful heart, to take lessons from what you see: see the palace of Ctesiphon as a mirror of admonition. Once along the Tigris, stop at Ctesiphon, and let a second Tigris flow from your eyes onto Ctesiphon's soil. The Tigris itself so weeps a hundred bloody streams that its lashes seem to drip fire from the heat of these blood-red tears. Do you see how the Tigris shore foams at its mouth? It is as if its feverish sigh blistered its lip. See the Tigris' liver scorched by the fire of regret; did you ever hear of water that fire could scorch? Weep anew for the Tigris and give it your eyes' alms, even though the shore takes alms from the Tigris. If the Tigris mixes cold sighs and fiery heartache, one half will become ice, the other a furnace. Once the palace chain at Ctesiphon broke, the Tigris went awry and twisted like a chain. From time to time call out to the palace in the tongue of tears to hear with the heart's ear its reply.

7.4 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Each palace battlement gives advice time and again: heed that advice from those heights in your heart's depths. It says: You are of earth, and we now the earth beneath your feet; trod upon us, and scatter two or three tears. Our head truly aches with the owl's lament; weep rose-water tears and ease that pain. Yes, why do you marvel that in the world's meadows owls follow nightingales, and lamentation song? We are the court of justice, and this injustice befell us; what privation must await palaces of the unjust? This heavenly palace the decree of the turning heaven or that of the heaven-turner seems to have overturned. Do you laugh at my eyes that they weep here? O, weeping here is for eyes not weeping here. Ctesiphon's white-haired woman is no less than Kufa's, nor her narrow room less than the latter's oven. Do you know how to equate Ctesiphon with Kufa? Make a furnace of your breast and summon a storm from your eyes. This is the same palace where from imprints of faces the threshold dirt became a portrait-gallery wall. This is the same royal court where among monarchs the king of Babylon was but a slave, and the ShĂ˘h of TurkestĂ˘n a doorman.

7.5 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

This is the same splendid pavilion where the lion woven into its tapestry would attack Leo. Imagine it is that age: with your mind's eye see the court's chain, the throng in the square. Dismount, put your face to the chess-cloth ground, see No'mân checkmated under the Sâsânid elephant's foot. No, no, see the No'mân-like elephant-slaying shâhs whom the elephants of night and day have slain under the feet of ages. O, many an elephant-slaying shâh a regal chess elephant cornered, checkmated by chessmaster fate on the square of hopelessness. The earth is intoxicated, having drunk, instead of wine, Anusharvân's heart's blood from (the cup of) Hormoz's skull. Much engraved counsel (pand) was visible then on his crown, a hundred lessons/fledgling kite birds (pand) now hidden in his brain. Anusharvân and his gold citron, Parviz and the golden quince are gone with the wind, become one with dust. Parviz would bring herbs of gold to every nation and made of the gold cloth a golden garden of herbs. Of Parviz, now gone, speak no more. Where are the golden fruit on the cloth? Go recite: "How many gardens did they abandon?" Where, you ask, have those crown-wearers gone?

7.6 32 Yes, the pregnant earth gives birth late; giving birth is difficult, conception easy. 33That wine the vine gives is the blood of Shirin; of Parviz's remains the village potter shapes a jar. 34However many tyrants it has devoured, this hungry-eyed earth never becomes sated. 35This white-browed mother with sagging black breasts makes her rouge with children's heart's blood. 36O Khâqâni, beg counsel from this palace (gate) so that henceforth the Khâqân will beg at yours. 37If today a dervish seeks provisions from the Sultan, tomorrow the Sultan will seek provisions at his door. 38If Meccan provisions serve every city along the way/ If gifts from every town offer provisions for Mecca, take provisions from Ctesiphon, a travel gift for Sharvân/Shervân. 39From Mecca everyone takes prayer-beads of Hamza's clay, so you take prayer-beads of Salmân's clay from Ctesiphon. 40Observe this sea of insight, do not pass it by without a drink. One cannot depart thirsty from the river of such a sea. 41Friends returning from travels bring gifts– this poem is a gift for friends' hearts. 42Observe the magic (this friend) herein produces, Christ-hearted dead man, mad with a wise soul.

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818) in Mashhad 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273) in Konya (Turkey) Persian Miniature Paintings, 13 th to 21st Centuries Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540) at Victoria & Albert Museum in London Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran etc., 10 th to 21st century Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) Lion and Sun Motif from the 19th into the 21st century Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008

8.1 The Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Reza (d. 818) in Mashhad, built from 993 from 1418+. Millions of people, including Iranians who are not particularly religious, each year visit this shrine in Mashhad, a word that means “place where a martyr is buried.”

8.2

A crowded Imam RezĂ˘ Shrine in Mashhad from the air

8.3.

• A commemorative Iranian postage stamp depicting part of the Imam Rezâ Shrine in Mashhad, issued on 1986 on the anniversary of the birth of Imam Rezâ (d. 818)

A 1986 postage stamp commemorating the inauguration of the international Iranian railway, an image of part of the Shrine to Imam RezĂ˘ inset.

Scott catalogue available online

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 Tomb of the Shâhnâmeh Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020) in Tus 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) Persian Miniature Paintings, 13 th to 21st Centuries Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

9.1 Tomb of the epic poet Ferdowsi (940-1020) at Tus completed in 1934, and rebuilt in 1968

9.2 • Dick Davis’s Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings is the best English translation of Ferdowsi’s Shâhnâmeh (1010 CE), a compilation of tales told in closed couplets on the subject of Iranian kingship from legendary times to the end of the Sâsânid monarchy in 651 CE (although not including stories about the Achaemenids [ruled 559330 BCE]. Its 50,000+ couplets may make it the lengthiest poem every composed by a single poet. • Many Iranians have long viewed Shâhnâmeh as their national history.

9.3

The most recent English translation of the Shâhnâmeh (2013) featuring modern Persian miniature paintings by Hamid Rahmanian. An illustration accompanying the Story of Giyomars, the world’s first king.

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

Mount Damâvand Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) The Cyrus Cylinder Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icons at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE, Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12Persian Miniature Paintings, 13th to 21st Centuries 13Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz 14Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) 16Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 17Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century 19Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

10.1

Building Iran: Modernism, Architecture, and National Heritage under the Pahlavi Monarchs (2009) by Grigor Talinn tells the stories behind the monument to the famous philosopher and scientist Avicenna (c.938-1038) and to Ferdowsi, Omar Khayyâm, Sa’di, Hâfez and the Shahyâd/Âzâdi Tower.

10.2

• A 1980 postage stamp commemorating the beginning of the 15th lunar century of Islam which began with Mohammad’s flight from Mecca to Medina in 632 and depicting the philosophers Fârâbi, Abu Rayhân, and Avicenna.

10.3

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

12Tomb of the Mathematician ‘Omar Khayyâm (1048-1131) in Nishâpur 13Tomb of the Sufi Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273) in Konya, Turkey 14Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) in Shirâz 15Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 16Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) 17Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 18Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 19Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century 20Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 21Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty+ symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

Tomb of ‘Omar Khayyâm (1048-1131) in Nishâpur

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273) in Konya (Turkey)

Persian Miniature Paintings, 13th to 21st Centuries Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

11.1

JalĂ˘loddin Rumi (1207-1273), premier Persian Sufi Poet and an inspirational figure for many Iranians who trace their culture-specific spirituality to him

Rumiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mausolem/Shrine/Museum Is Konya, Turkey. Turkey, Iran, and Tajikistan claim Rumi as their national poet.

11.2 Rumi Past and Present, East and West: The Life, Teachings and Poetry of Jalâl al-Din Rumi (2008) by Franklin D. Lewis is a compre-hensive, academic introduction to its subject, especially important in its separation of fact from fiction and history from myth and in its citation and description of resources for the study of Rumi.

• That at least three medieval Persian poets, Ferdowsi (see Slides #x), Rumi, and Hâfez (see Slides #

A Rumi Ghazal

Hajj pilgrims at the Ka’ba

o people on the hajj, where are you, where are you the beloved is right here; come here, come here the beloved is your neighbor, right next-door so, wandering in the desert, what are you seeking if you see the faceless face of the beloved you yourselves are lord, house, and Ka’aba you have gone ten times on that route to that house for once emerge onto the roof of this house that house is sweet and you’ve described it in detail now describe the features of its lord if you have seen that garden, where is a bouquet of flowers if you are from the sea of God, where is a soul-pearl despite all this, may your travails be your treasur alas that you yourselves are the veil over your treasure

Muhammad praying at the Ka’ba

11.3 Persian miniature painting depicting Rumi dancing in front of his disciples

11.4

• Joint postage stamp issued by Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, and Iran in honor of Mowlânâ [= our lord] Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273) with images of him, his tomb, and whirling dervishes.

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Persian Miniature Paintings, 13th to 21st Centuries

Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) in Shirâz Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

12.1 Persian miniature painting from a manuscript of Hâfez’s poems depicting lovers in a garden

• garden • spring • lovers • wine • dancing • garden carpets

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) in Shirâz

Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) Lion and Sun Motif from the 19th into the 21st century Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

13.1 Mausoleum of the Poet HĂ˘fez (c.1320 -c.1390) in ShirĂ˘z completed in 1935

13.2 • Hafez Dance of Life (Mage Publishers, 1988) features the texts of 18 Hâfezian ghazals in paintings by Hossein Zenderoudi. • Ali Ferdowsi’s “Emblem of the Manifestation of the Iranian Spirit”: Hafiz and the Rise of the National Cult of Persian Poetry,” Iranian Studies 41 (2008): 667-691, describes how Hâfez became a national hero during the first half of the 20th century, he and his poetry now epitomizing Iranianness for many Iranians.

13.3 Back to the Heart by Hossein Zenderoudi, the text of a famous so-called mystical ghazal by HĂ˘fez. An English translation appears on the next slide.

13.4 For years my heart sought Jamshid's cup from me, from a stranger it sought what it itself had. A jewel beyond the shell of being [kown]and space it sought from lost ones on the road to the sea. I took my problem to the Magian elder last night because he solved enigmas with visionary grace. I saw him vibrant, smiling, a cup of wine in hand; and in that mirror he was viewing myriads of things. I said: "When did the Sage give the world-seeing cup to you?" He said: "On the day he made the azure dome." He said: "That friend [Hallâj] for whom the gallows head rose, his crime was that he revealed secrets. If the Holy Spirit's grace once again gives aid, others will perform miracles that Christ used to perform." "Chain-like tresses of idols/beloveds are for what?" I asked. Hâfez, he said, was complaining because of a frenzied heart.

What the Hâfezian speaker’s heart had that it sought from the speaker’s mind was the capacity to love. The Zoroastrian elder recognized that the speaker was making use of his capacity to love when the former noted that the beloveds’s tresses seemed like chains to him, something that only somebody in love would feel and say.

13.5

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

Mount Damâvand Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) The Cyrus Cylinder Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icon at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE, Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12Persian Miniature Paintings, 13th to 21st Centuries 13Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17th century) 16Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 17Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18Lion and Sun Motif from the 19th into the 21st century 19Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20Milâd Tower, Tehrân,built in 2008 Other Persian carpets designs also resonate with Iranians as symbolic of their culture,such as Esfahân carpets with arabesque medallion and floral field with shâh ‘abbâsi motifs, the design inspired by manuscript illumination and Esfahân architectural decoration

14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet woven in 1539/40 Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

15 16 17 18 19 20

Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17th century)

Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

15.1 The Royal Square, EsfahĂ˘n Built in the early 17th century

15.2 Shaykh Lotfollâh Mosque Royal Square, Esfahân

15.3

Mohammad Rezâ Shâh Pahlavi (r. 1941-1979) next to an image of the Âli Qâpu building on the Royal Square in Esfahân

• The juxtaposition of the cameo of Mohammad Rezâ Shâh Pahlavi and Âli Qâpu intended to suggest that the Pahlavi monarch was heir to the power and glory of Safavid Shâh ‘Abbâs the Great (r. 1588-1629), who ruled Iran its last period of imperial power.

15.4

• This postage stamp with image of Esfahân’s Royal Mosque and the ‘Âli Qâpu Royal Pavillion on Royal Square, Chehel Sotun Palace, and the bridge called Si-yo Se Pol features the Islamic Republic of Iran’s redefinition of Esfâhân (and rewriting of history) in its caption: Esfahân, cultural capital of the world of Islam.”

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 17 18 19 20

Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

16.1 An illuminated manuscript page of the Koranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening page dated 1817, Iran

16.2

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 2 3 4

Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747)

18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century 19 Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20 Milâd Tower, Tehrân,built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

17 NĂ˘der ShĂ˘h (ruled 1736-47) Monument in Mashhad built in1959

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 Mount Damâvand 2 Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) 3 The Cyrus Cylinder 4 Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icon at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE, Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11 Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12 Persian Miniature Paintings, 13 th to 21st Centuries 13 Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15 Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) 16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 17 Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19th into the 21st century 19 Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20 Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

18.1

A mid-19th century lion-and-sun newspaper masthead image reading yâ asadollâh al-ghâleb [o victorious lion of God (= 1st Shi’ite Imam ‘Ali, d. 661)]

18.2

A lion-and-sun royal medallion dating from the reign of Fath’ali Shâh Qajâr (ruled 1797-1832)

18.3 Naseroddin Shah Qajar (ruled 1848-1896)

Early lion-and-sun postage stamp image

18.4

Lion and Sun Image 20th Century

18.5

Lion and Sun Image on a 1967 postage stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of Iranian postage stamps

18.6

Pahlavi-Era (1925-1979) lion and Sun images on versions of the official Iranian national flag

18.7

Lion and Sun flag The crown atop the sun identifies the flag as monarchical

18.8

Official flag of the the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1979-present, featuring a central image of the word Allâh

‫ا‬

18.9

â&#x20AC;˘ Lion and Sun (1969) by Hossein Zenderoudi, the bifurcated blade identifying the image as referring to Imam â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ali.

18.10

• A lion-and-sun flag that can symbolize both Shi’ite Muslim and Iranian monarchical traditions. • Can Iran(ian culture) survive without acknowledging and appreciating both traditions, even in a post-monarchical and post-religious world?

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 Mount Damâvand 2 Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) 3 The Cyrus Cylinder 4 Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icon at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE, Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11 Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12 Persian Miniature Paintings, 13th to 21st Centuries 13 Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15 Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) 16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 17 Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19 th into the 21st century

19 Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân 20 Milâd Tower in Tehrân, built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

Century 19.1 completed in 1971 as Shahyâd Tower renamed in 1979 as Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower

18.2

19.2 Building Iran: Modernism, Architecture, and National Heritage under the Pahlavi Monarchs (2009) by Grigor Talinn tells the stories behind the monuments to Ferdowsi, Avicenna, Omar Khayyâm, Sa’di, Hâfez, and the Shahyâd/Âzâdi Tower.

Twenty Symbols of Iran and Iranianness 1 Mount Damâvand 2 Tomb of Achaemenid Emperor Cyrus the Great (ruled 559-530 BCE) 3 The Cyrus Cylinder 4 Achaemenid Ruins at Persepolis, construction begun by Darius the Great in 518 BCE, destroyed by Alexander the Great in 330 BCE 5 Faravahar Icon at Persepolis 6 Rock-face relief of Sâsânid Emperor Shapur (ruled 242-270 CE) and the captive Roman Emperor Valerian in 260 CE, Naqsh-e Rostam 7 Sâsânid Ruins at Ctesiphon, Iraq near the Tigris River 8 Shrine to 8th Shi’ite Imam Rezâ (d. 818), Mashhad 9 Tomb of the Poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), author of Shâhnâmeh 10 Tomb of the Scientist and Philosopher Avicenna [= Ebn-e Sinâ] (c.980-1037) 11 Tomb of the Poet Jalâloddin Rumi (1207-1273), Konya (Turkey) 12 Persian Miniature Paintings, 13 th to 21st Centuries 13 Tomb of the Poet Hâfez (1320-c.1390) is Shirâz 14 Ardabil Shrine Carpet (1539-1540), Victoria & Albert Museum in London 15 Royal Square at Esfahân (early 17 th century) 16 Illuminated Manuscripts of the Koran, etc., 10 th to 21st century 17 Statue of Nâder Shâh Afshâr (ruled 1736-1747) 18 Lion and Sun Motif from the 19th into the 21st century 19 Shahyâd [Memory of the Shâh]/Âzâdi [Freedom] Tower (1971) in Tehrân

20Milâd Tower in Tehrân,built in 2008 Other images exist that many Iranians consider symbols of Iran and their Iranianness. This list of twenty symbols does not imply the lesser significance of uncited images.

Mil창d Tower, Tehr창n, 2008 Mt. Dam창vand, north of Tehr창n

• Does a female symbol of Iran and Iranians exist for Iranians?

• Viewers of this slide show might ask Iranian acquaintances for an answer to this question. From the literary critical perspective of the compiler of this slide show, the controversial modernist Persian poet Forugh Farrokhzâd (1934-1967) might serve as a symbol, but the fact that she is a controversial modernist poet implies that many Iranians do not think her representative or symbolic of Iranian cultural values.

Do many Iranians have positive and optimistic thoughts about the future of their culture and cultural identity vis-Ă -vis their cultural past?

Where Have the Riders Gone? (2007) by Nasser Ovissi

Two sculptures by Parviz Tanavoli. The word «‫ »هیچ‬/hich/ denotes “nothing.”