Persepolis Recreated

[Astibus]

I thought some of the folks on the forum would enjoy this.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCwxJsk14e4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGeJRTw7mW8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIPHEb9lWXA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXLaeZnJzVY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqQH56JcEhE

[Perturabo]

Should be more stuff like this around. I'm sad to say that I know a lot less about Persia and even the pre Persian era (Mesopotamian empires) than I would like.
A total war game based on Persia/Assyria/Babylon/Ancient Egypt/the Hittites etc would be absolutely incredible (and I do realise Persia was a late comer to this group).
So sad it will never happen.

[Astibus]

Should be more stuff like this around. I'm sad to say that I know a lot less about Persia and even the pre Persian era (Mesopotamian empires) than I would like.
A total war game based on Persia/Assyria/Babylon/Ancient Egypt/the Hittites etc would be absolutely incredible (and I do realise Persia was a late comer to this group).
So sad it will never happen.

That would be great.Sadly,i have neither the skill or the time to make a Mesopotamian mod.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Thanks for the links!

[unreal_uk]

Some wonderfully misinformed comments on the links too! Rather amusing.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Yeah, but TV documentaries aren't for the info, but for the pictures IMHO. Info is better found by books, both and articles etc., much faster and more accurate usually.

[The Persian Cataphract]

It's a great documentary, a must for the aficionado on Iranian history, and I have it somewhere on DVD (Both in Persian and in English) where I can see it in full glory; The recreation of Persepolis is nothing short but spectacular, and in particular David Stronach and the late Shapur Shahbazi (Who used to be the custodian of the museum nearby the site, during the Pahlavî dynasty) contributed to the bulk of the data provided in order to mount this achievement.

However as great as it is, the English version does have its flaws and may give novices the wrong idea of Iranian scholars; Prof. Shahbazi's knowledge of the English language is more than adequate, as has been shown in some of his best dissertations, but the way he speaks it would beg to differ. The end of the 4th part and the beginning of the 5th part, where Shapur Shahbazi is supposed to explain the context behind the Graeco-Macedonian invasions, shows his almost trademark animosity to Alexander The Great (This wasn't his first time either; In Clive Irving's "At the Crossroads of Civilization: 3000 Years of Persian History" where both Shahbazi and Richard Nelson Frye were consulted, Shahbazi is particularly harsh in his evaluation of Alexander). I guess it could be forgiven because the man worked almost everyday (Until the islamic Revolution kicked in) at the site, but the documentary is not without bias and almost portrays Alexander as downrightly evil. Shahbazi unfortunately screws up in the end when he said "Alexander was a Macedonian. Not a Greek.". I've read his stuff, so don't be alarmed.

I, for one, would absolutely love a "Ctesiphon Recreated" sequel, even though Roger Kupelian did an excellent job reconstructing it, in "East of Byzantium". If only for the joy of for once bringing out the dirty laundry of Islam.

[pezhetairoi]

That's the closest to praise I've ever heard the Persian Cataphract come. XD You go, PC.

[Frodge]

BTW how viable is tourism in Iran 'cos i'd give my own mother to go to Persepolis and Pasargadae

[Rodion Romanovich]

I don't know, but I think the chances are probably bigger than the likelihood of getting the 3d models and textures used for the reconstruction in the documentary for download and playing around with on your computer...

[The Persian Cataphract]

BTW how viable is tourism in Iran 'cos i'd give my own mother to go to Persepolis and Pasargadae

It depends on; If you look for culture, you have chosen a most exquisite destination of all places in Asia, and you will find cultural sites almost abundant (Though poorly administered; Especially sites that predate the Islamic advent receive very poor funding, even if some of these are registered in the Iran Heritage Foundation, or even UNESCO). You would most probably enjoy your stay, as the locals are usually warm, friendly and hospitable (The biggest jackpot would obviously be if you met with a few Qâshqâï nomads, or the Bakhtîyâr-Lûr natives and manage to bargain for some of their very high-quality produce).

Just a word of warning, stay out of Tehran. It is probably one of the most racist places in this whole planet, and the traffic has done more harm to the civilians than the totalitarian Islamic regime (Which speaks for itself). Do not expect any nightlife of worth, and the idea of snatching a hot Iranian woman... Not going to happen, lest you could live with the risk of having religious militia chopping your dick off. Other than that, you'll for sure enjoy the great food, the ridiculously low prices (Bring enough cash, because if you are in this for the souvenirs, you're in heaven... That means you should go to Isfahan, where the metal-works are absolutely topnotch), and of course high quality goods, including rugs, carpetry, tapestries, wood-cutting. Forget replicas, this is stuff that will give you memories for life.

Make sure to confer with a reliable travelling agency thoroughly, because you won't want to fly in one of those gnarly, accident-prone Tupolev aircraft. Also, lest you want to enjoy the simplicity of a rural Kurdish village, when you are in the cities, be somewhat street-smart; Don't flaunt around with valuables. Don't flash around with the camera too blatantly; Many of my colleagues got interrogated by militia for taking pictures, and in most times, it was because of a half-assed fluency in Persian that got them out. At the historical sites though, take as many pictures as you'd like. Many museums also offer excellent exhibitions, and even though the best one is in Tehran, you can't really miss out the "Bâstân Museum of Tehran".

Also, other than Persepolis, or Pasargadae and Naqsh-î Rustam, which is nearby the Persepolis complex, I'd also like to recommend the Dêzhbâr castle, a Parthian-style fortress, remarkably intact, built during the reign of Sassanian King of Kings Shâpûr I... Unfortunately, the Bam citadel was ruined in an earthquake four years ago, because I know that site used to be particularly popular amongst tourists. That adobe fortification was quite something...

Oh well, enough of the scare tactics, I truly do hope that you'd consider a trip. If you know what you are looking for, you'll find it.

[Astibus]

Don't flash around with the camera too blatantly; Many of my colleagues got interrogated by militia for taking pictures

Youre not fuckin around with that advice....a Canadian jorunalist of Iranian descent(Zahra Kazemi RIP)was murdered(beat to death)while in Iranian custody,for taking pictures,she was accused of being a spy.

I was wondering,what are the coastal areas like in Iran?Have you visited any of the beaches along the Persian gulf/Indian ocean coast or those along the Caspian?

[The Celt]

....and the idea of snatching a hot Iranian woman... Not going to happen, lest you could live with the risk of having religious militia chopping your dick off....

Now that's a real spirit breaker...... Kambiz you poor bastard...

[marodeur]

Just a word of warning, stay out of Tehran. It is probably one of the most racist places in this whole planet, and the traffic has done more harm to the civilians than the totalitarian Islamic regime (Which speaks for itself). Do not expect any nightlife of worth, and the idea of snatching a hot Iranian woman... Not going to happen, lest you could live with the risk of having religious militia chopping your dick off.
(...)
Make sure to confer with a reliable travelling agency thoroughly, because you won't want to fly in one of those gnarly, accident-prone Tupolev aircraft. Also, lest you want to enjoy the simplicity of a rural Kurdish village, when you are in the cities, be somewhat street-smart; Don't flaunt around with valuables. Don't flash around with the camera too blatantly; Many of my colleagues got interrogated by militia for taking pictures, and in most times, it was because of a half-assed fluency in Persian that got them out".

You should write traveling guides. Somehow I suddenly can hardly resist the urge to visit Teheran...