|
|
 |
Home | Spenta Productions
|
 |
Spenta Productions - Pictures
United Nations
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great- United Nations |
IRAN
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great- Yazd |
Farshid Faraji films the cavernous temple known as the sacred "Spring of Chek Chek" near the city of Yazd in Iran. This ancient fire temple is an annual destination for thousands of Zoroastrian pilgrims. Here we explain Cyrus' Zoroastrian religion.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| King Cyrus Tomb- Iran (shiraz) Pasargard |
Cyrus's body was laid to rest in this gabled-roof tomb, the construction of which he had, interestingly enough, commissioned before embarking on his final campaign. It was situated at the south end of his capital, Parsagarda, which literally means, "camp of the Persians," located about 100 miles northeast of the city of Shiraz in present-day Iran.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great - Caspian Sea |
The eastern shores of the Caspian Sea, along the Turkmenistan/Iran border, was the original homeland of Cyrus's Indo-Iranian ancestors.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great- Mazandaran |
Farshid Faraji filming the pass that connected the Parthian capital, Shahr-e Qumis (or Hekatompylos in Greek) to the satrapy of Hyrcania, today's Mazandaran. This trail cuts through the Alborz mountain range and would have been used by Cyrus to bring Hyrcania under his sway as he began his campaign East in 544 BCE.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great- Hegmataneh |
Hangmatana is the birthplace of democracy and the capital city of another Iranian tribe, known as the Medes. After defeating the Median king, Astyages, at Tang-e Bulaghi in 550 BCE, Cyrus commandeered his palace, which served as his home for many years until construction of his own palace at Parsagarda neared completion. Astyages was also Cyrus' Grandfather, and the first of many defeated kings whose life was spared by Cyrus.
IRAQ
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| Cyrus Kar- In Search of Cyrus the Great- IRAQ |
In retracing Cyrus's march on Babylon, we found ourselves smack in the middle of war-torn Baghdad. Here we're filming on the eastern bank of the Tigris river in close proximity to where Cyrus would have crossed the Tigris to reach the ancient city of Opis just on the other side, and believed to be buried underneath modern-day Baghdad. As the gateway to the Babylonian heartland, Cyrus had to go through Opis and the Babylonian king, Nabonidus, knew it. In anticipation of Cyrus's arrival, Nabonidus had stationed the bulk of his army at Opis under the command of his son, Belshazzar and had the bridge, leading to Opis, destroyed. So Cyrus built a pontoon bridge, and, after crossing the river, laid siege to Opis' defensive "Median Walls." After a ferocious battle, Cyrus captured Opis on October 10, 539 BCE.
Afghanistan
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| Cyrus Kar- In Search of Cyrus the Great- Afghanistan |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great- Afghanistan |
Camel herder just outside the city of Balkh in northern Afghanistan, which Cyrus captured in 544 BCE and is believed to be the place where Zoroaster was assassinated.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great- Afghanistan |
Lunch at an Afghan restaurant in the city of Balkh after a hard-morning shoot. Balkh was the capital of Bactria and a major commercial center in the ancient world. It was ruled by Saka warlords but, after a fierce battle, it was liberated by Cyrus during his 544 BCE "eastern campaign," which stretched the limits of his empire as far east as China.
Tajikistan
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| Cyrus Kar- In Search of Cyrus the Great- Tajikistan |
Preparing for a shoot in northern Tajikistan, believed to be the site of Cyrus's final battle against the warrior-queen Tomyris, which claimed his life.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| Cyrus Kar- In Search of Cyrus the Great- Tajikistan |
Dr. A. Kamal Mirbadayov explains the ruins of Cyropolis (The City Of Cyrus) in northern Tajikistan, established by Cyrus in 544 BCE to mark the northeastern-most border of his burgeoning Persian empire.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| In Search of Cyrus The Great- Tajikistan |
Following in the footsteps of Cyrus The Great, we cross the historic Amu Darya, from Afghanistan, north into Tajikistan.
Turkey
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| Cyrus Kar- In Search of Cyrus the Great- Turkey |
The ruins of Sardis in western Turkey was the capital of the Lydian Empire and was captured by Cyrus in 547 BCE after his amazing victory over the much larger and more powerful army of King Croesus, at the 'Battle of Thymbra,' which played out just outside these citadel walls.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| Cyrus Kar- In Search of Cyrus the Great- Turkey |
Dr. David Stronach explains the ruins of Pteria in central Turkey, the site of Cyrus' first battle with the powerful forces of Croesus, king of Lydia. After this first battle, Croesus - regretful for having provoked Cyrus into war - used the dead of night to beat a hasty retreat back to his capital, Sardis.
| In Search of Cyrus The Great |
 |
| Cyrus Kar- In Search of Cyrus the Great - Turkey |
Harran in southern Turkey. After a long day of shooting, this local family invited us to supper among the historic ruins of Harran, which was captured by Cyrus in 547 BCE on his way to meet the mighty Lydian army of King Croesus, at Pteria.
|
|
