Cyrus the Great Day in Iran Date in the current year: October 29, 2024
Cyrus the Great Day, also known as Cyrus Day, is an Iranian observance held on October 26 (7th of Aban in the Zoroastrian calendar). It is dedicated to the Persian king Cyrus II, who became famous as the founder of the Achaemenid Empire that conquered most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia and the Caucasus.Cyrus the Great Day is the anniversary of Cyrus’s entrance into Babylon. Cyrus the Great took Babylon, the ancient capital of the Babylonian state covering modern Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Israel, in October 539 BC. This event is described in several texts, including the Nabonidus Chronicle. Cyrus II is known not only as a great conqueror, but as the author of the Cyrus Cylinder, considered by some the world’s first declaration of universal human rights.
A holiday dedicated to Cyrus the Great was initiated by the Save Pasargadae Institute, but it doesn’t have any official status. Cyrus Day is mainly celebrated in Iran and by Iranian communities in other countries such as the UK and the United States. In Iran, those who want to honor the memory of Cyrus the Great come to his tomb in Pasargadae, the ancient capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It is today an archaeological site in Fars Province located about 60 km from Shiraz.
In October 2016, thousands of young people organized a demonstration in Pasargadae. They chanted, “Cyrus is our father, Iran is our country”, and criticized the current government of Iran.
Remind me with Google CalendarCategory
- Cultural Observances, Unofficial Holidays
Country
- Iran
Tags
- Cyrus the Great Day, Cyrus Day, holidays in Iran, cultural observances, unofficial holidays