At the tomb of Cyrus the Great, celebrations of the 2500th anniversary of the monarchy.

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At the tomb of Cyrus the Great, celebrations of the 2500th anniversary of the monarchy.

France, 1971, printed 2016
Photographs
Gelatin silver print
Image: 10 × 14 3/4 in. (25.4 × 37.47 cm) Primary support: 12 × 15 3/4 in. (30.48 × 40.01 cm)
Purchased with funds provided by Art of the Middle East: CONTEMPORARY (M.2016.199.4)
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

...
The lavish celebrations associated with the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Imperial State of Iran and First Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great in October 1971, have sometimes been referred to as the most expensive party in history. The festivities opened on October 12th, when the Shah paid homage to Cyrus at his mausoleum at Pasargadae, as captured in this photograph.
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Bibliography

  • Komaroff, Linda. In the Fields of Empty Days: The Intersection of Past and Present in Iranian Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Munich; New York: DelMonico Books-Prestel, 2018.