Alamut

The secret  fortress of the assassins

Remains of Alamut Castle Clinging to a Crag Above the Valley of the Assassins         



On the summit of a ragged peak in the Alborz Mountains there lies the ruins of one of history’s most fearsome secrets. Today, it towers above the sleepy village of Moallem Kalayeh in a secluded valley that has been all but forgotten by the outside world. But for centuries, the inhabitants of Alamut shaped the fate of empires and brought terror to the hearts of rulers from the British Isles to the Indian subcontinent.

The name Alamut came from an ancient Persian King, who, while on a hunting expedition in a remote valley, followed an enormous eagle and saw it land on a rock at the top of a hard to reach mountain. The King took this as a favorable omen, and, realizing the strategic value of the location, built a castle there, naming it ‘Alamut’, meaning ‘the Eagle’s Nest’.

Around two centuries later, a young man named Hassan Sabah stumbled upon this castle. Hassan was an Ismaeli Shia, an esoteric branch of Islam that was persecuted by the ruling Seljuk Empire, particularly during the time of the vehemently anti-Shia Grand Vizier Nizam al-Mulk. He spent the next two years hiding in the valley from the Vizier’s forces, converting local villagers and instructing the converts to seek employment in the castle. Once he had infiltrated almost the entire castle guard, he declared it his and took it over without spilling a drop of blood (and paid the former landlord as he was kicked out 

The Ismaeil stronghold of Alamut

By conquering the castle, Hassan declared open rebellion against the Seljuks. He then built more defenses for the castle and improved irrigation, so it could be self-sufficient in food production. A giant library and center of learning of mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, and alchemy was built inside. Within a few years, dozens of similar castles had been built in remote regions in Northern Iran, creating an independent state.In October 1092 a pivotal event happened that brought Alamut into the spotlight of history. Faced with an overwhelming superior Seljuk army, Hassan sent one of his followers, a fidaaei, disguised as a traveling Dervish to the city of Nahavand, where the Grand Vizier Nizam al Mulk’s convey was resting, on its journey from Isfahan to Baghdad. The fidaaei stabbed Nizam while he was on his litter, killing him and driving the Seljuk state into chaos.

Hassan’s followers, who spread throughout Iran and the Levant became known as the ‘Hashshashin’, or ‘Assassins’ in the West. For centuries, they fought far stronger enemies, assassinating Viziers, Caliphs, Crusaders, and others in far off lands. Sir Conrad of Montferrat, Crusader King of Jerusalem was put to death by an Assassin blade. King Edward I of England and the legendary Sultan Saladin only narrowly escaped Assassin attackers.

The story of the Assassins was brought to prominence in the West by Marco Polo, who told stories of an “Old Man of the Mountain” who promised his drug crazed followers a place in heaven if they died following his orders. He would give warriors a powerful potion and then take them to a secret garden chamber where there were rivers of wine and honey, palm trees, and enchanting Huris, telling them this was the promised paradise and they could attain it forever if they followed his every command. Historians believe this was a gross exaggeration, but the stories have stuck in popular culture, most notably inspiring the Assassins Creed franchise and Prince of Persia movie.

 

Visiting Alamut:

                                                                Alamut was put under siege and conquered by the Mongols in the mid-13th century. Its library was burned and the inhabitants that were not slaughtered fled forever. Subsequent kings critically destroyed the castle even further while aggressively searching for lost Assassin treasure.

The nearest large city to Alamut is Qazvin, which is a 2–3 hour drive North of Tehran. The village of Moallem Kalayeh is an additional 1.5 hours away from Qazvin. Moallem Kalayeh is famous for its cherry orchids and traditional pottery, and can be a fun place to stay a few hours, or even sleep overnight in.

The hike up to Alamut castle is moderate, so good, comfortable hiking shoes are a necessity. The primary part consists of a few hundred fairly steep stairs, which can easily take 1–2 hours at a moderate pace. Locals sometimes allow horse rides halfway up for a small fee. The trail may be closed off in the winter during heavy snow, but is always accessible in the spring and summer.

One of the best descriptions of the hike to the castle and the surrounding areas can be found in Freya Stark’s famous novel The Valleys of the Assassins: and Other Persian Travels. While the book was written almost a century ago, little has changed in the actual site since then other than some renovations of the castle itself. 

  

Other Assassin Castles

One of the largest and most fortified Assassin castles is Lambsar Castle, located about an hour an a half east of Alamut. Most tour groups visit both Alamut and Lambsar. Taxi’s are almost always available to travel from one to the other. The road between the two can be quite pleasant, particularly during the spring with beautiful mountain scenery.

The hike up to Lambsar Castle

Lambsar castle is surrounded by very deep valleys on the East and West sides, making it accessible only from steep, narrow paths from the North and the South. It was under Seljuk siege for 8 continuous years, but stayed firmly in Assassin hands. It was also the last Assassin castle in the region to fall to the Mongols, and held out for more than a year after Alamut was taken. In the end what led to its fall was a cholera outbreak that killed the majority of the soldiers defending it. The survivors surrendered to the Mongols in 1257, only to be beheaded on the spot and buried under the ruins of the castle.

While Alamut and Lambsar are largely ruins, a few Assassin castles still remain largely intact. The most famous of these is Rudkhan Castle, which lies in the middle of a dense forest on the top of a mountain in Gilan. Rudkhan takes about 6 hours to drive to from Alamut (it is an hour drive from the city of Rasht).

Rudkhan has dozens of distinctive towers spaced equally along its perimeter. Its unique architecture looks almost European from the outside, but with distinctly Iranian touches inside, particularly in the irrigation systems. Like Alamut, there is a long stairway to get to the main castle, which can easily take an hour to hike up.

The grounds of the castle cover 6.4 acres, and include a prison, quarters for royalty, water storage containers, and even a spring in the center of the castle. The walls deliberately included cracks in them in order to monitor enemy troops and shoot them with arrows.

The most famous gate of Rudkhan Castle

Northern Iran is filled with all sorts of historical and natural beauty attractions. A reasonable itinerary would be to spend one or two days exploring Qazvin, Alamut, and Lambsar, and another day at Rasht and Rudkhan.

The symbol of Tehran

SHAHYAD TOWER "KING MEMORIAL TOWER"

Persian King Memorial Tower, is the symbol of Tehran, the capital of Iran, and marks the entrance to the city

History

Built in 1971 in commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, this "Gateway into Iran" was named the Shahyad Tower, meaning "Kings' Memorial", but was dubbed Azadi (Freedom) after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Originally intended to remind coming generations of the achievements of modern Iran under the Pahlavi dynasty, it has become a symbol of the country's revival. It is 50 meters (148 ft) tall and completely clad in cut marble.

      

  
 

Construction
The architect, Mr. Hossein Amanat, won a competition to design the monument, which combines elements of Sassanid and IRANIAN architecture.There are several fountains around the base of the tower and a museum underground

Location - Tehran, Iran
Constructed - 1971
Height - 50 Meter - 164.042 Foot
Architect(s) - Hossein Amanat

Built with white marble stone from the Esfahan region, there are eight thousand blocks of stone. The stones were all located and supplied by Ghanbar Rahimi, whose knowledge of the quarries was second to none and who was known as "Soltan-e-Sang-e-Iran". The shape of each of the blocks was calculated by a computer, and programmed to include all the instructions for the building's work. The actual construction of the tower was carried out, and supervised by Iran's finest master stonemason, Ghaffar Davarpanah Varnosfaderani. The main financing was provided by a group of five hundred Iranian industrialists. The inauguration took place on October 16, 1971.

Museum
The entrance of the tower is directly underneath the main vault and leads into the Shahyād Museum on the basement floor. The black walls, the pure, sober lines, and the proportions of the whole building create an intentionally austere atmosphere. Heavy doors open onto a kind of crypt where lighting is subdued. The shock is immediate. The lighting there seems to issue from the showcases placed here and there, each containing a unique object. Gold and enamel pieces, painted pottery, marble, the warm shades of the miniatures and of the varnished paintings glitter like stars among the black marble walls and in the semi-darkness of the concrete mesh which forms the ceiling of this cave of marvels. There are about fifty pieces selected from among the finest and most precious in Iran. They are in excellent condition and each represents a particular period in the country's history.

The place of honor is occupied by a copy of the Cyrus Cylinder (the original is in the British Museum). A translation of the cuneiform inscription on the cylinder is inscribed in golden letters on the wall of one of the galleries leading to the museum's audio-visual department; opposite, a similar plaque lists the Twelve Points of the White Revolution. Next to the Cyrus Cylinder, a magnificent gold plaque commemorates the presentation of the museum to the Shah by the Mayor of Tehran.

Among the earliest testimonies of Iran's history on display here are square flagstones, gold sheeting, and terra cotta tablets from Susa, covered with cuneiform characters of astonishingly rigorous geometry. Potteries, ceramics, varnished porcelains (such as the beautiful seventh-century blue and gold dish from Gorgan), an illuminated Koran, and a few exceptional miniatures highlight milestones in the country's annals up to the nineteenth century, which is itself represented by two magnificent painted panels from Empress Farah Pahlavi's collection.

THE ROYAL FAMILY OF IRAN ( the last king of Pahlavi dynasty )

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi married Farah Diba, the only child of Sohrab Diba, Captain in the Imperial Iranian Army and his wife, the former Farideh Ghotbi. The Royal Wedding took place in Tehran in 1959, and Queen Farah was crowned Shahbanou, or Empress, The title of Shahbanou was devised especially for Farah Pahlavi at the Coronation of 1967.

A month later on November 21, 1959, the royal engagement was announced with a wedding date set for the 21st of December. Farah moved into private quarters within the palace complex as preparations for the wedding took place. For the first time she realized how busy her future husband was as a head of State, and how precious and limited were the private moments he could take. It was also a time for Farah to get to know the rest of the royal family. She found her ability to bring harmony and balance in all situations very helpful not only with her in-laws, but in her future official role.

After the wedding ceremony, the royal couple spent their honeymoon at Ramsar, a small town near Caspian Sea. For such a private and intimate holiday, the royal couple preferred no place else than their beloved country. It did not take very long after her fairytale wedding for the new queen to get bored. She wanted to get to work and do something more meaningful and enduring than just attending official receptions and overseeing the royal household. But her eagerness to use her status to help her husband’s endeavors in building a better future for Iran came to a temporary halt as Queen Farah discovered she was pregnant just two months after their marriage. On October 31, 1960, the Shah, who had waited a long time for an heir, told his beaming wife at her bedside that she had given birth to a son, Reza.  The royal couple went on to have three more children: Farahnaz (March 12, 1963), Shahpur Ali-Reza (April 28-1966 to January 4, 2011) and Leila (March 27, 1970 to June 10, 2001).

prince and princess:

1.

Reza, Crown Prince of Iran

H.I.H. Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi was born  in Tehran, Iran on October 31, 1960 to the late Shah of Iran and Empress Farah Pahlavi. As Crown Prince of Iran and the oldest of four siblings, he left Iran at the age of 17 for air force training, during which time the establishment of the clerical regime in Iran prevented his return to his homeland. Despite being forced to live in exile, Reza Pahlavi’s commitment and patriotic duty to Iran endures.

After leaving Iran, Reza Pahlavi completed his higher education with a degree in political science from the University of Southern California. An accomplished fighter pilot, Reza Pahlavi completed the United States Air Force Training Program at the Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas. During the Iran-Iraq War, Reza Pahlavi volunteered to serve his country’s military as a fighter pilot, but was declined by the clerical regime.

For over thirty years, Reza Pahlavi has been a leader and advocate of the principles of freedom, democracy and human rights for his countrymen. He maintains constant contact with his compatriots both inside and outside the country. Pahlavi travels the world meeting with heads of state, legislators, policy-makers, interest groups and student groups speaking about the plight of Iranians under the Islamic regime in Iran. He consistently speaks out against the widespread abuse and oppression of the Iranian people and calls for the establishment of a secular democracy in Iran. Since the fraudulent elections of 2009, Pahlavi's singular message of solidarity and unity for a secular and democratic Iran has taken on a new air of urgency.

In addition to numerous articles, Reza Pahlavi has written three books, on the state of affairs in Iran: Gozashteh va Ayandeh (Kayhan Publishing, 2000); Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in Iran (Regnery, 2002); and IRAN: L’Heure du Choix [IRAN: The Deciding Hour] (Denoël, 2009).

Reza Pahlavi has lived in exile since 1978. He married Yasmine Etemad-Amini on June 12, 1986. They have three daughters: Noor Pahlavi (born April 3, 1992), Iman Pahlavi (born September 12, 1993), and Farah Pahlavi (born January 17, 2004).

Yasmine is a graduate of The George Washington University School of Law with a Doctorate in Juries Prudence. She was admitted to the Bar and practiced for ten years as a lawyer, for the Children’s Law Center, as a legal advocate for at-risk youth. Yasmine also founded the Foundation for the Children of Iran (FCI) in 1991. FCI, a non-profit foundation, provides complex, life saving, free health care services to indigent Iranian children.

Siblings

Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi half-sister, (born October 27, 1940)
Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi (born 12 March 1963)
Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi (28 April 1966 – 4 January 2011)
Princess Leila Pahlavi (27 March 1970 – 10 June 2001)

Spouse
Yasmine Etemad-Amini (Born July 26, 1968)

Issue
Princess Noor Pahlavi (born April 3, 1992)
Princess Iman Pahlavi (born September 12, 1993)
Princess Farah Pahlavi (born January 17, 2004)

Father, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
Mother, Farah Diba
Born October 31, 1960
Iran, (Persia) Tehran

2-Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi

Her Imperial Highness Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi was born in Tehran on March 12, 1963.

The Princess’s primary school education was at the Niavaran Special School (1970-78). She attended high school at the Esther Walker School in Simsbury, Connecticut (1979-80) followed by Cairo American College, Cairo, Egypt (1980-81). She pursued her undergraduate studies at Bennington College, Vermont (BA in Social Studies), and completed graduate school in 1990 at the School of Social Work (Child Psychology).

Today, Princess Farahnaz is very close to her mother, Empress Farah Pahlavi, and her brother Reza Shah II, and takes a keen interest in events back in Iran. As shown by her scholarly pursuits, the Princess is a compassionate woman and takes a close interest in social issues in society and especially those affecting the disadvantaged.

Siblings
Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi half-sister, (October 27, 1940)
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi (born 31 October 1960)
Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi (28 April 1966 – 4 January 2011)
Princess Leila Pahlavi (27 March 1970 – 10 June 2001)

Father, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
Mother, Farah Diba
Born 12 March 1963
Iran, (Persia) Tehran

3-Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi

His Imperial Highness Prince Alireza Pahlavi, third child of Their Imperial Majesties Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and Empress Farah Pahlavi, was born in Tehran on April 28 1966. In his lifetime he was a much-loved son and loyal friend renowned for his sense of humour. Intelligent and curious in his intellectual pursuits, Prince Alireza was passionate about all aspects of Iranian culture and an enthusiastic and accomplished athlete who enjoyed skydiving, scuba diving and flying. 

Prince Alireza attended primary school at the Lycée Razi and Niavaran Palace School. Following the Pahlavi family’s departure from Iran in January 1979, Prince Alireza attended secondary school at St. David’s School in New York City followed by high school at the American College Cairo, Egypt. He returned to the United States in 1981 to complete his high school education at Mt. Greylock Regional High School in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Prince Alireza graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. (Music/Ethnomusicology) and completed his M.A. (Ancient Iranian Studies) from Columbia University in New York. At the time of his death on January 4, 2011 he was near completion on a doctorate at Harvard University (Ancient Iranian Studies/ Philology). He shares a daughter, Iryana, with his companion Ms. Raha Didevar. 

To learn more about Prince Alireza’s life and the foundation that bears his name please visit this site: alirezapahlavifoundation.org

SiblingsPrincess Shahnaz Pahlavi half-sister,  (born October 27, 1940)
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi (born 31 October 1960)
Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi (born 12 March 1963)
Prince Leila Pahlavi (27 March 1970 - 10 June 2001)

Father Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
Mother Farah Diba
Born 28 April 1966 - Died, January 4, 2011 (aged 45) Boston, Massachusetts
Iran, (Persia) Tehran

Suggested Links

The Foundation for the Establishment of Prince Alireza Pahlavi Fellowship in Ancient Iranian Studies

In Remembrance by Professor Ehsan Yarshater

One cannot erase the memory of Prince Alireza Pahlavi from one’s mind even if one tried. I knew him when he was a lively, well-dressed, and socially active young man who had registered at Columbia University and was a student in the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures.

Academically, he was interested particularly in two fields: the history of pre-Islamic Iran and the culture and languages of Iran prior to Islam. For the latter, he took courses with Professor James Russell, an expert in Middle Iranian and Armenian literature, now the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard. He later pursued this field at Harvard, which was better equipped to give instruction on these subjects. For Persian history, he took a course that I was giving. He showed a healthy and lively curiosity in historical problems.

It is a great pity that an untimely passing cut his plans short. It is hard to believe that such an excellent and most promising young man is no longer with us. His indelible memory and that of his joie de vivre haunts me and keeps posing unanswerable questions about the enigma of fate.

It is most appropriate and a cause for great appreciation by all the lovers of Iran and its culture that Her Imperial Majesty Shahbanou Farah Pahlavi has founded a Fellowship in Ancient Iranian Studies in the name of Prince Alireza Pahlavi at Harvard University.

The significance of her Majesty’s act becomes clearer when we remember how important it is to fortify the foundations of Iranian Studies. Iran has had a long and rich history and has contributed remarkably to the progress of world culture. It was Iran that founded the first empire in the world with a humane policy bringing many countries and many races under one rule. Its poetry is among the best in the world, its art has no rival in the entire Middle East, and its cultural influence in neighboring countries, particularly in the Subcontinent and Anatolia, has been profound. All these and more need to be made known and written about. Any step taken to promote the knowledge of Iranian history and culture is a service to the promotion of humanities. The establishment of a Fellowship in Prince Alireza Pahlavi’s memory helps to advance the study of ancient Iran.

Professor Ehsan Yarshater,
Columbia University

This poem was written for Prince Alireza by his friend
Mehrnaz Ghaffari commemorating his unbearable loss.

Banished Children of Iran

Prince and Brother, Beloved Son and Friend
With you we mourn the loss
of a childhood incomplete,
Of our once proud Nation whose fall we
witnessed in the shadow of the night
Of a beloved homeland seized and denied us
I speak of the banished children of Iran.
With you we mourn innocence lost,
A time when the air we breathed was sweet and full of promise
Like the limitless horizon of our Caspian Sea,
That magical place where our childhood laughter
will ring out loud for eternity
We mourn with you silently that Paradise Lost
May you return to that place on your mystical journey Your Highness!
And through your sacrificial journey fulfill in us all
that burning and undying longing for Home.

M.Ghaffari  – Jan 7th 2011

4-Princess Leila Pahlavi

Her Imperial Highness Princess Leila Pahlavi was born in Tehran on March 27, 1970. Vivacious and outgoing, Princess Leila was close to her family, a popular figure with her friends, and pursued interests in art and Iranian history and contemporary events. 

Princess Leila attended primary school at Niavaran Special School (1974-78) and at Marymount School in New York City (1979-80). Middle school was at the Cairo American College in Cairo, Egypt, and later at Pine Cobble School in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Princess Leila completed her high school education at Rye Country Day School Rye, New York (1983-87), and attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, as an undergraduate (1988-90).

Princess Leila passed away in London on June 10, 2001.

A very special thanks to Mylene Farmer for dedicating this song in the memory of Our Beloved "Leila".

For Leila

In the garden
by the roses,
is written
“Please don’t pick up the flowers”
But …
The wind doesn’t know how to read

In an email by Iranian compatriot HFB
 

Siblings
Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi half-sister, (October 27, 1940)
Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi (born 31 October 1960)
Princess Farahnaz Pahlavi (born 12 March 1963)
Prince Ali-Reza Pahlavi (born 28 April 1966 – died 4 January 2011)

Father Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
Mother Farah Diba
Born 27 March 1970 in Iran, (Persia) Tehran - passed away in London, England on June 10, 2001 (aged 31).
Laid to rest at the Passy cemetery (Cimetiere de Passy) in Paris France.

CYRUS THE GREAT

CYRUS THE GREAT

“Ruling human beings does not belong among those tasks that are impossible ... if one does it with knowledge.... We know that Cyrus, at any rate, was willingly obeyed.”  As an exceptional ruler, Cyrus “was worthy of wonder, ... [and] excelled in ruling human beings.”   (Xenophon, 4^th c. B.C.)

The Achaemenid Persian Empire (550-330 B.C.) which ultimately ruled over 23 nations spread across approximately 3,000,000 square miles stretching from North Africa to Indus Valley was based on law and order.According to Herodotus, even the kings were not allowed to put a man to death for an offense.  An ideal Persian leader had to be intelligent, decisive, just, and guarantor of civil order. 

Cyrus II the Great (r. 559-530 B.C.), the founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, set the tone for its imperial grand strategy. Tolerance, law, and order were how the Persians were to conquer and rule the known world. Disruption of order by rebellions and lawlessness were challenges met by the Achaemenid kings through a well-trained, organized army and a centralized bureaucracy. 

Cyrus ascended the throne of Persia in 559 B.C., and as his predecessors, recognized the overlordship of the neighboring Iranian Medes. During the first decade of his reign, Cyrus was interested in consolidating his authority over the Persian confederation and the sizeable Median Empire. In 550 B.C., with support from many in the Median army and nobility, he defeated his unpopular grandfather the Median King Astyages, and captured their capital Ecbatana.

During the second decade of his reign, Cyrus consolidated all of Iran, as well as eastern lands such as Merv and Samarkand. In 545, the fall of the powerful and wealthy Lydia to Cyrus sent a shockwave across the ancient world.  Cyrus then turned his attention to Babylon. On October 10, 539, Cyrus attacked and defeated the Babylonian army stationed at Opis on the Tigris. Susa fell next.  Sippar was taken without a fight. Babylon was captured on October 12^th, and ten days later Cyrus entered the city. 

According to Cyrus’s declaration known as the Cyrus Cylinder, the world’s first known bill of human civil rights, the people held in captivity by Babylonian kings were set free to return to their native lands. Under this decree, the Jews also returned to their homeland and rebuild their temple. Unfortunately, soon thereafter his beloved wife Cassandane died, and Cyrus left for Persia to bury his queen.    

It is unclear what his military activities consisted of during the final stages of his reign, but he apparently conducted at least one great march to the eastern frontier before he was mortally wounded in 530 during his campaign against the Iranian nomadic Massagetae tribe. His eldest son Cambyses II (r. 530-523 B.C.) succeeded him.

Cyrus the Great is considered one of the best conquerors and most admired leaders of all times.  He is the subject of many historical and political studies. His life was studied and emulated by other “giants” in history such as Alexander and Caesar. His partially fictional biography Cyropaedia by Xenophon was a mandatory read for certain degrees in European and early American universities. Many of the Founding Fathers of America each had at least one copy of this biography.

According to the Father of Modern Political Science, Machiavelli, Cyrus was a notable prince because he became “great” based on personal ability not fortune. He created an empire with difficulty, but kept it with ease based on his character and leadership. In his book Power Ambition Glory, internationally-acclaimed American publisher and businessman Steve Forbes begins his parallels between great ancient leadership and today’s global lessons with Cyrus.

For Iranians, Cyrus is a byproduct of their ancient culture, heritage and upbringing. They are proud to have presented such a man to world history. Cyrus the Great is the embodiment of Iranian national identity, and his immortality ensures Iran’s future freedom, greatness and contribution to advancement of human civilization.

“Passerby, I am Cyrus, who gave the Persians an empire, and was king of Asia.  Grudge me not therefore this monument.”(The inscription on Cyrus’s tomb by Strabo, 1^st c. B.C.)

Cyrus the Great - King of Kings: An Animated History

Royal House Achaemenid

Coronation
Anshan, Persis, Iran

Predecessor
Cambyses I

Successor
Cambyses II

Spouse
Cassandane of Persia

Issue
Cambyses II
Bardiya
Artystone
Atossa

Father Cambyses I
Mother Mandane of Media
Born  600 BC ?
Birthplace  Anshan, Persia (Iran)

Died December, 530 BC
Place of death Along the Syr Darya
Buried Pasargadae

Reign  530 BC - 559 BC (30 years)