From Kelardasht to Pasargadae on Foot in Memory of Cyrus the Great

I come to meet the Friend

I have passed through the Seven Trials and come like the Simorgh (In Persian mythology, the “Seven Trials” symbolize enduring a long and arduous path filled with great challenges.)

And if I am slain along this path

I shall arrive at the court of Love with my head held high

(A poem recited by Shahram Goodarzi before setting out for Pasargadae)

Shahram Goodarzi, the distinguished artist and creator of the magnificent statue of Cyrus the Great, set out on foot from Kelardasht on the 25th of August (Shahrivargan Festival) toward Pasargadae, so that he would arrive on October 29 (Cyrus the Great Day).

Goodarzi considers himself a soldier of Cyrus the Great and a soldier of the path of humanity, and some of his compatriots came out along the way to greet him.

Previously, the statue he had created drew attention in the media. He spent many years working on it and faced many hardships.

The Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae is one of the most cherished sites for patriots, and October 29 marks the peaceful entry of Cyrus into the city of Babylon (1).

According to Babylonian records, after entering Babylon, Cyrus the Great helped the oppressed, restored sanctuaries throughout the empire, and freed those who had been forced into unjust labor (2).

The Shahrivargan Festival (August 26) is also a commemoration of the noble kings of Ancient Persia (3).

Therefore, Shahram Goodarzi is walking the path to the Tomb of Cyrus the Great from August 26 (Shahrivargan Festival) to October 29 (Cyrus the Great Day).

Cyrus the Great has been praised in the writings of many peoples around the world—including the Greeks, the Jews, and the Babylonians—and he is remembered as a renowned monarch of antiquity (4).