A 29-foot bronze statue of Cyrus the Great has been installed in Atlanta’s Pardis Park. Created by local artist Stan Mullins, it stands on a stone base shaped like the king’s tomb in Iran. More than 40 people worked on the project over several years. The statue will be formally dedicated on Saturday during Iran Unveiled, a free festival for families celebrating Persian culture.
Cyrus founded the Persian Empire roughly 2,500 years ago and is remembered for respecting different religious beliefs. He freed Jewish people held in Babylon and allowed them to return home to rebuild their temple. Project leader Rostam Zafari felt that Atlanta, with its connection to Martin Luther King Jr., was a fitting home for a monument promoting freedom, peace and coexistence: people living peacefully together.
Zafari dedicated the project to his grandparents. With the United States at war with Iran, he hopes the statue will encourage Americans to recognise what they share with Iranian people. He also co-founded Nimruz, a non-profit organisation that brings together Iranians of different backgrounds, religions and views. Its purpose is to celebrate Iranian culture and share it with neighbours.
