Workers put a new statue of Cyrus the Great in Atlanta’s Pardis Park. It is 29 feet tall. The statue is made of bronze, a kind of metal. The metal figure weighs about 8,000 pounds. It stands on a stone base. The base looks like the king’s tomb in Iran. A free festival will celebrate Persian culture and welcome the statue.
Cyrus started the Persian Empire about 2,500 years ago. People remember him for respecting different groups and their beliefs. He also freed Jewish people in Babylon. He let them go home and build their temple again. Rostam Zafari helped bring the statue to Atlanta. He sees a link between its message of freedom and peace and the city’s connection to Martin Luther King Jr.
Atlanta artist Stan Mullins made the statue. More than 40 people worked on it over several years. Getting enough money was difficult. Zafari dedicated the project to his grandparents. He also helped start Nimruz, a group that brings Iranian people together and shares their culture with their neighbors.
