Kohan Diyar 13
Kohan Diyar is the story of our identity.Let us journey through history together for a few moments.
A relief carved into the mountain of Behistun in Kermanshah set high upon the rock face one of the most important historical documents of the ancient world. Commissioned by Darius the Great, it records the story of his rise to power and the consolidation of his rule. At the center of the relief, we see Darius steady, composed, and authoritative his foot placed upon the chest of Gaumata the Magus, a man who falsely claimed kingship and seized the throne through deception.
Behind Darius stand two guards, and a line of defeated rebels and pretenders, bound together with rope.
Above them, the symbol of the Faravahar appears. And in the inscription, he declares: “I am Darius, the Great King, King of Kings, King of Lands, son of Hystaspes, an Achaemenid.”
He then recounts, with the aid of Ahura Mazda, how he overcame rebellions across the empire and established imperial order.
Another profound significance of Behistun lies in its role as the key to deciphering cuneiform script. Through the study of this inscription, scholars were finally able to read Old Persian, opening new pathways to understanding the civilizations of the ancient world. Behistun also stands as a remarkable visual statement of power not through movement or chaos, but through stillness, order, and complete control.
A visual declaration that, in ancient Iran, power was defined through law, order, and divine legitimacy.
And then, Naqsh-e Rostam the eternal resting place of the great Achaemenid kings. Above each royal tomb, the symbol of the Faravahar appears; below it, the king stands upon a platform, in prayer before a sacred fire altar.
This platform is borne upon the shoulders of representatives from the many nations of the empire. And within the inscriptions, Darius speaks of the principles and ideals of his kingship justice, truth, and the rejection of falsehood the very foundations of Achaemenid political thought. Kohan Diyar is the story of our identity… the story of a land where the tombs of kings became symbols of their eternal legacy.
