He was a legendary Persian king who ruled over a vast empire from Indus valley to Aegon Sea which included Media, Persia, Asia Minor, and Babylonia. For Cyrus Day Click Here. It was the first biggest empire in human history and he also wrote the first Charter of Human Rights. In historical sources Cyrus the great is not only known as a conqueror and a military strategist but he is also known as a liberator, tolerant of other cultures and religions.
Greek historian Xenophon in his book Cyropediae wrote:
Cyrus kingship in itself bears witness that it was the most noble And greatest of those in Asia, for it was bordered on the east by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Black Sea, on the west by Cyprus And Egypt, toward the south by Ethiopia. Despite its size, it was governed by one judgment, that of Cyrus, and he honoured and was attentive to those under him just as to his own children, and his subjects Venerated Cyrus as a father. The name Cyrus is mentioned 23 times in the Old testament as the anointed one and the chosen one (Isaiah 45:13)
I will rise up Cyrus in my righteousness:
I will make all his ways straight.
He will rebuild my city and set my exiles free,
but not for a price or reward, says the LORD Almighty."
The Cyrus Cylinder was found in 1879 during excavation in Babylon and is kept at British museum. Because of its reference to just and peaceful rule, restoration of deported people and their gods the Cylinder has been referred to in some quarters as a kind of “First charter of human rights ” and for that reason a replica of the cylinder is kept at United Nations headquarter in New York. Cyrus Cylinder at British museum
Line 25: I wanted the safety in city of Babylon and all its temples. Line 26: I relieved their exhaustion; I freed them from their bonds. Marduk, the great lord, joys at my good manners. Line 27: and he pronounced a sweet blessing over me, Cyrus, the king who fears him, and over Cambyses, the son and over all my troops, Line 28: That we might live happily in his attendance, in well-being. At his glorious command, all kings who sit on thrones, Line 29: from every quarter, from the Upper Sea to the Lower Sea, those who occupy and the kings of the land of Amurru who live in tents, all of them, Line 30: brought their big tribute into Shuanna, and kissed my feet. From Shuanna I sent back to their places to the city of Ashur and Susa, Line 31: Akkad, the land of Eshnunna, the city of Zamban, the city of Meturnu, Der, as far as the border of the land of Guti - the temples across the river Tigris - whose shrines had earlier become falling down, Line 32: the gods who lived there, and made permanent temple for them. I collected together all of their people and returned them to their settlements, Line 33: and the gods of the land of Sumer and Akkad which Nabonidus – to the anger of the lord of the gods – had brought into Shuanna, at the command of Marduk, the great lord, Line 34: I returned them unharmed to their cells, in the temples that make them happy. May all the gods that I returned to their temples, Line 35: every day before Bel and Nabu, ask for a long life for me, and mention my good manners, and say to Marduk, my lord, this: “Cyrus, the king who fears you, and Cambyses his son, Line 36: The population of Babylon call blessings on my kingship, and I have enabled all the lands to live in peace.
539bc is the organization to celebrate The Day of Cyrus the Great or Cyrus Day event every year and in october 2009 The day celebrated successfully for the first time in Cambridge. For reserve and buy your ticket for 2010 event please click “TICKET” section in this page.
VIP area is a unique member’s area for watching Cyrus Day videos, Learn History in One Page, write your name in old Persian, Listen to traditional Persian music Radio, play the most ancient board game, Online Quiz to win the Prize, History of Iran, beautiful wallpapers, treasure section and many more (mostly it is our original work).
2009 Event Pictures | Event Preview | Demonstration of VIP Area
For copy right issue we did not upload pictures in high resolutions.
Next update: 13/03/2010
Live Tv show "539 BC Live", Beautiful wallpapers from our graphic designer’s team, online quiz to win a great prize, 539 BC presents: history in one page, History of Iran, Write your name in old Persian, Play the ancient game of Jiroft, Watch full Cyrus Day Event and many more only at 539 BC VIP arae. In the near future there will be more features in 539BC VIP area.
The winner of 539 BC On-line Quiz is: Farangis Ghobadi from Germany and we congratulate to her.
Farangis Said 539bc.com is: "exotic web site"
The Question was: What are three different capitals of Cyrus the Great?
The answer is: Pasargadae, Babylon and Ecbatana
only six people had a correct answer to online cyrus day quiz but we have only one winner
We put all the correct answers in a drawing and choose a winner. Prize for the winner was: Oldest Human Rights T-shirts worth £15
“The empire, over which Cyrus ruled, was the largest the ancient world had ever seen and maybe to this day, the largest empire ever.”
Patrick Hunt
Enlarge The map
Persian Empire
Darius the Great Talk about Suez Canal
Through excavated evidence, such as statuettes recovered in Susa, it can be said that music in Iran can be traced back to the days of the Elamite Empire (2,500-644 B.C). Little is known of the music during this period, except for the fact that various instruments, such as guitars, lutes and flutes were created and played.
Daf (Persian) is a large-sized frame drum used to accompany both popular and classical music in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Kuhistoni Badakhshon of Tajikistan and other countries of the Middle East.
setar is one of the most important Iranian/Persian and Armenian musical instruments. The formation, compilation, edition, and inheritance of the most authentic and most comprehensive versions of radif are all worked on tar. The general trends of Persian classical music have been deeply influenced by tar players. Guitar is development of Tar dates back to 4,000 years ago in Susa
TICKET
Organiser of The Day of Cyrus the Great or Cyrus Day in UK/Cambridge Dr. Babak Ghalekhany graduated from University of Umea, Sweden, as a Dental Surgeon in 1994. He is currently practicing in United Kingdom. Besides his medical career, he has researched the field of Iranian history especially early Achaemenid history and reign of Cyrus the Great with detailed studies of Babylonian sources from reign of Nabonidus, Babylonian temple administration from Eanna temple at Uruk and Ebabara temple at Sippar and study of Greek sources especially Xenophon's Cyropedia ("The Education of Cyrus the Great"). He is working on a film project about Cyrus the great and the capital of Achaemenid empire, Pasargadae with oscar nominated film director Alex Jovy and architect and 3d designers K.Afhami and W.Gamke(persepolis3d.com). Email:Babak@539bc.com
Webmaster & organiser of Cyrus Day in UK/Cambridge Occupation: Drirector of Zhigs comapny in Uk and student in online designing Founder and webmaster of Persian wonders website, which has been successful as an informative and interesting website.
Email: Meysam@zhigs.com | View portfolio
Supporter of 539Bc.com Email: matin@zhigs.com | esmaeel@zhigs.com
The Day of Cyrus The Great (Cyrus Day) 2010
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