Iran has been in the news quite frequently lately and I amazed at long lasting their civilization has been. Regardless of political affiliations or contemporary politics right now, Iran is truly a special civilization with few equals, maybe other than China. This is a civilization that spans from Elam all way to the Islamic Republic, and I am impressed with their ability to integrate many facets of other cultures.
The Sassanid rock carvings in Modern-Day Iran are truly remarkable pieces of architecture, integrating the rocks of the Earth with the political aspirations of the Sassanid Shahs.
This was an empire that linked the Romans with China. While the connections were tenuous, the Sassanids were able to be this intermediary between these two great nations just as the Parthians had been.
The Sassanids much like the Byzantines are a hidden aspect of our history.
Unlike the Byzantines, they are even more obscure. They are hidden away in the mountains of Iran, just waiting for the West to simply pay attention.
The Byzantines have been getting more attention in recent years. However, Sassanid Iran remains obscure.
In some ways, that obscurity is a great thing. It has not been tainted by popular culture and still remains a civilization as it was, just a repersentation of people’s hopes and dreams.
My interest in the Sassanids goes beyond the material. It is about how they managed to hold their own in an age of empires.
Byzantine-Empire.com 