Workers have put a 29-foot bronze statue of Cyrus the Great in Pardis Park in Atlanta. Bronze is a kind of metal. The stone under the statue looks like his tomb in Iran. Atlanta artist Stan Mullins made the statue. The work took several years and involved more than 40 people. A free festival called Iran Unveiled will celebrate the statue on Saturday. Families can enjoy Persian culture there.
Cyrus started the Persian Empire about 2,500 years ago. People remember him for letting different groups follow their own religions. He also freed Jewish people from Babylon. He let them return home and build their temple again. Rostam Zafari led the statue project. He wanted it in Atlanta because of the city’s link to Martin Luther King Jr. For Zafari, the statue carries a message of freedom and peace.
Zafari dedicated the project to his grandparents. It comes at a time when the United States is at war with Iran. He hopes Americans will see how much they share with Iranian people. Zafari also helped start a group called Nimruz. It brings Iranian people from different backgrounds together to celebrate their culture and share it with their neighbours.
