Sunday, March 23, 2008

The Longest Fall of the Middle East

Abshar-e Shuy (Shuy the fall), the longest fall in Middle East is located in Dezful, Khuzestan, Iran. Its length is over 80 meters and has 50 meters width. As mountainous path is inaccessible, the current way to Shuy the fall is 10km way start from TeleZang Rail Station.

* translated from iranview

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Fravahar

In Zoroastrians beliefs, human kind is composed of five Powers: Body, Conscious, perception, Spirit & Fravahar. Fravahar (Fravashi) the most valuable one is consist of "Fra" as foreword & "Vahar" as driving which is the preexisting external higher soul or essence of a person associated with Ahura Mazda and will be backed to Ahura Mazda after death. It prevents the one's spirit from propensity to lie and incompetence and gives him the power of innovation to pursue the theism in order to become a Spenta man.
Under Achaemenids, an ancient illustration was developed as the national Symbol with the basic thoughts of Ashu Zarathustra.
Pic1: illustration of Fravahar.

Each of 7 parts of this symbol resembles a concept:
- The old man face reminds one to use the wisdom and experience of elderly.
- His upward hands are praying Ahura Mazda which symbolizes development and growth.
- The ring in his hand is the symbol of Mithra and reminds the one to follow the Asha path.
- His wing has 3parts of good thoughts, good words and good deeds or Humat, Huvakht and Hurasht in Pahlavi.
- The middle ring is the eternal world and circulation of life which means everything, good or bad, backs to itself.
- Two hanging strings resemble following Spenta Mainyu (the right side) and refusing the Angra Mainyu (the left side).
- the 3parts wing below the middle ring is discarding the bad thoughts, bad words and bad deeds or Dojmat, Dojvakht and Dojorasht in Pahlavi.

Pic2: the ancient illustration of Fravahar in Assyrian, Meddian and Elamite has been traced.

The unity of Fravahar which is a beam from Ahura Mazda in all creatures is the most interesting issue related to this concept. The Spirit may pollute but Fravahar never does and after death backs to Ahura Mazda.
Maybe heard about Iranian’s New Year habits of Haft Sin, Khane Tekani (House Cleaning), Charshanbe Suri and so and so. Each of which has a pretty origin, e.g. House Cleaning: Zoroastrians clean their houses in the last five days of the year since they believe Farvardin (First Month of Solar Calendar) in devoted to dead’s Fravahar who back to their families in this month, then a cleaning the house is a respectful hospitable gesture to ancestors.