Des Élamites à l’islam | De la Perse à l'Iran : 3 000 ans de civilisations (1/3) | ARTE

Iran carries two names: Perse (ancient, mysterious, and land of adventure with imposing temples and palaces) and Iran (isolated, proud, and fiercely guarding itself from foreign interference).

Persians remain mysterious to the Western imagination, appearing in the Old Testament and historical accounts of battles against Alexander and Roman armies. Their art and language influenced European and Asian cultures.

The Persians are the only people of the Middle East to have preserved their language and culture despite waves of invasion and revolution, setting them apart from North African and Syrian populations.

• Discovery of Persian civilization origins in one of the world's earliest cities • Exploration of great sovereigns and their vast empire that rivaled the ancient world • Examination of three Roman emperors they resisted before Arab conquest • Understanding the journey from Persia to Islam

The Shahnameh is a long epic poem recounting the history of pre-Islamic Persian kings with legendary and historical characters whose deeds against supernatural and real forces shaped Iranian identity.

The Shahnameh is the soul of Iran and the essence of Iranity. Composed at the turn of the 10th century by Abou Cassem Ferdossi, it took 30 years to write and remains like a Bible for most Iranians.

• Performed in tea houses across Iran for 1000 years • Still captivates Iranian audiences who never tire of hearing its adventures and fabulous tales • Represents a matter of identity for understanding Persian history • Characters and adventures remain deeply appreciated today

The power of Ferdossi's epic has survived and transcended Persian borders. It protected Persian language and culture from those who sought to erase them, preserving the link between modern Iran and 3000 years of Persian culture.

The Elamites built one of Iran's greatest religious monuments over 3000 years ago. Where mountains did not exist, they constructed one, reflecting the spiritual significance mountains held for their civilization.

• The bull was central to Elamite civilization and the first animal in Iranian creation myths • Elamites venerated a bull god called Inchushinak • Kings built ziggurats to honor this deity • Temples were dedicated to Elamite divinities with splendid statues and objects

Archaeologists uncovered a remarkable blue quartz pendant representing a king with his daughter Barou, a rare depiction of a woman in Elamite sources. A footprint over 3000 years old possibly belonged to the king's daughter who came to pray at the temple.

The ziggurat of Tchogha Zanbil is an open-air book written in Elamite cuneiform. Thousands of engraved bricks repeatedly stamped the king's authority into the stone, with each brick declaring 'I am the king of the Elamites.'

Susa was the capital of the Elamite kingdom, known archaeologically as the 15th city, dating to at least 1500 years before Jesus Christ. Excavations began in the 19th century and revealed the site's exceptional richness and cultural sophistication.

• Bronze couple of worshippers with the woman holding a bird of unknown significance • Intense blue ceramic shards indicating sophisticated pottery • Pieces of terracotta with grooves believed to be the upper part of rice storage jars • Evidence of urban life and commercial activities

In the 7th century BCE, King Cyrus launched his powerful army against the Medes and then the Elamites. After conquering Susa, Cyrus became Cyrus the Great and his descendants made Susa their new capital under the Persian Empire.

The Elamites became subjects of a new empire: the Persian Empire. Susa eventually disappeared under the sands of centuries before resurfacing in 1850 under the excavations of archaeologists, revealing the impressive achievements of Cyrus and his successors.

In 539 BCE, Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon. The Cylinder of Cyrus, one of the earliest testimonies of political propaganda, describes how he claimed to have defeated enemies through tolerance rather than violence toward the Babylonians and their gods.

The cylinder text states 'My immense army penetrated peacefully into Babylon. I did not let anyone frighten the people and sought to guarantee the well-being of Babylon and all its sacred places.' This propaganda influenced how Cyrus was perceived throughout the centuries.

At its height, the Persian Empire extended from Greece to the Indus and from Axus to what is today Libya, making it the largest empire the ancient world had known. This unprecedented territorial expansion demonstrated Persian military and administrative power.

• Cyrus founded the Persian Empire and gave his people national identity • His successors made Susa their capital under the Persian Empire • Cyrus had inscriptions carved in three cuneiform formats declaring himself a king and Achaemenid • His descendants established the Achaemenid dynasty as rulers of Persia

Cyrus built his capital at Pasargadae, of which only his tomb remains. Surprisingly modest for the founder of what was then the world's largest empire, it stands as a testament to the ruler's legacy.

The tomb was located at the center of a vast enclosed garden called a 'pairidaeza' in Persian, a word that gave rise to 'paradise.' The garden featured luxuriant vegetation, flowing water, and statues of fabulous birds and mythical beasts, representing the ruler's civilizing influence over the burning desert.

Traditional Persian carpets often reproduced the layout of this garden. A system of canals provided water for basins, flowers, and trees that offered shade on summer days, symbolizing royal power and the control of nature.

Cyrus ensured the perpetuity of his lineage by having an inscription carved in three cuneiform formats: Elamite, Babylonian, and Achaemenid. The inscription simply stated 'I am Cyrus, the king, an Achaemenid,' declaring the vast empire under Achaemenid dynasty authority.

In 515 BCE, Darius I added the most beautiful jewel to the crown: the legendary city of Persepolis. Darius was the greatest royal architect of his dynasty, and even in ruins, the city's imposing gates, monumental columns, and elegant bas-reliefs announced a new world order.

• Darius pioneered the first Suez Canal • Standardized weights and measures across the empire • Unified the monetary system • Maintained meticulous accounting tablets and ledgers • Maintained detailed exchange rate registers for payments in kind

A superb frieze at Persepolis represents subjects of 23 different peoples coming to pay tribute to the king. The detail shows figures from Southeast Europe to Pakistan bringing gold dust, spices, war axes, elephant tusks, and giraffes, demonstrating the empire's vast reach.

Contrary to assumptions of massive slavery, archaeologists discovered that many workers built Persepolis and were paid in kind. Women also worked there, supervising certain structural parts, with documented cases of maternity benefits and special compensation for childbirth.

King Xerxes, successor of Darius, had an inscription carved at the imposing city gate: 'I am Xerxes, the great king, the king of kings, the king of peoples of many origins, the king of this great earth far away.' He named the gate the 'Gate of All Nations.'

• Magnificent solid gold decorative objects 2500 years old • Gold rhytons shaped like horns with openings to pour wine directly into the mouth • Perfectly designed cups held in the palm of the hand • Extensive jewelry adorned with semi-precious stones

In 330 BCE, Macedonian forces led by Alexander the Great invaded Persia and reduced Persepolis to ashes. White marks on pillars show where limestone whitened under intense heat. Darius did not fortify the city, confident in his military victories.

Alexander did not destroy Persepolis for its wealth; the great treasurer gave it to him and he spent it in months. He burned Persepolis because it was the sanctuary of Persian culture. He sought to erase the memory of Darius and his successors, momentarily succeeding in erasing them from history.

After Persepolis's destruction, wanderers among the ruins discovered statues of fantastic beasts and imagined a mythical Persian empire ruled by legendary creatures. In the 10th century, Abou Kassem Ferdossi collected these stories and recorded them in the Shahnameh.

In Ferdossi's mythological version, Jamshid, not Darius, founded Persepolis. A legendary king-god, Jamshid defeated demons and was given a stone palace built by his soldiers. He sat on a stone throne his soldiers transported everywhere, which gave the location its name: Throne of Jamshid.

According to the Shahnameh, Jamshid created Nowruz, the traditional Persian New Year celebration in the Persian calendar, celebrated at the beginning of spring in late March. Some say Persepolis was built to mark this annual feast, which remains central to Iranian family celebrations.

• Jamshid was gifted with the Farr, a sign of divine favor and a divine light emanating from the sovereign • The Farr manifests as a luminous halo in visual representations • A good king with the Farr governs justly, but losing it means becoming evil and risking deposition • Jamshid eventually succumbed to pride and was punished when the Farr departed as a flying bird

Four Achaemenid kings are buried in a necropolis with immense tombs carved directly into the cliff face. Darius's tomb shows his hand raised toward the halo of light above him, with an inscription: 'If you do not know how many peoples King Darius conquered, look at the sculptures and you will know.'

Mythology replaced true history at this location. Just as Jamshid eclipsed Darius as Persepolis's builder, a legendary hero named Rostam was attributed to this necropolis. Rostam appears in a bas-relief below Darius's tomb, depicted as a powerful warrior on horseback, an Hercules-like Persian hero.

In the Shahnameh, Rostam spends the first half of the epic fighting to slay dragons, demons, and enemies. He never dies and his worst enemy is the White Div, incarnation of absolute evil. Killing the White Div represents a clear moral victory over evil within us all.

Many Iranians today know this site as Nax-e Rostam, the place of Rostam, with enemies kneeling before his powerful steed. However, the bas-reliefs actually date 500 years after Persepolis's destruction and represent another true Persian king: Shapur I of the Sassanid dynasty.

The first half of the Shahnameh is a mythological prologue where dynasties like the Achaemenids and Parthians are largely obscured by legends. Only toward the end of the long poem do true history and real sovereigns appear.

The moment when myths and legends give way to real history involves the Sassanid dynasty, a new kind of Iranian dynasty that Ferdossi viewed favorably because they were truly Iranian to their fingertips.

Through the Shahnameh, Ferdossi wove narratives around Sassanid kings, who became historical figures. This literary preservation allowed Persian language and culture to survive when foreign conquerors introduced new laws, languages, and religions.

The Shahnameh created a mythological-historical framework that protected Persian identity through centuries of invasions and upheaval. It became the essential link between modern Iran and 3000 years of Persian civilization, surviving where Achaemenid records were destroyed.

A 7-meter statue carved from a single stalactite represents Shapur I, crowned in 240 CE. With his crown, abundant hair, powerful hand on his belt, and gaze surveying the landscape, he appears godlike but is a mortal king marking the Sassanid dynasty as ruler of Persia for centuries to come.

In the Shahnameh, Ferdossi speaks of Shapur as a great king, the incarnation of the Farr, divine light itself. Like a pupil of an eye, Shapur stands at the cave entrance, embracing his empire with his gaze, determined future generations never forget his accomplishments.

Shapur's reign lasted over 30 years. He built many cities, with Bishapur bearing his name as the most remarkable. Two columns testify to the city's grandeur, with inscriptions in Pahlavi script relating its inauguration. The ruins reflect Shapur's immense ambition and unshakeable confidence.

• Carved in rock near Bishapur is the epic of Shapur's triumphs over Rome • He defeated three Roman emperors: Gordian (trampled), Philip the Arab (truce imposed), and Valerian (captured) • Valerian was brought to Bishapur as a prisoner and likely well-treated despite later Roman rumors of macabre fates • Valerian's soldiers were enslaved to work on Shapur's building projects

Shapur I founded Bishapur as his namesake city. Upon discovery in the 19th century, archaeologists uncovered impressive mosaics in pure Roman style, evidence of Valerian's captured soldiers working on the construction project.

• Valerian's Roman soldiers were put to work improving roads, building dams and constructing bridges after their capture • A bridge 650 km north stands as testimony to Roman builders' skill • The partially ruined arches still attract local inhabitants seeking fresh evening air by the riverside • The structure represents the encounter between ancient Persia and modern Iran

Shapur had numerous successors represented in rock bas-reliefs. All Sassanid kings were depicted following the founder's model with a crown and abundant hair, the trademark of the Sassanid dynasty, representing Persia's new sovereigns for centuries.

From bronze sculptures to coins to stone effigies, all kings were represented with the same iconography established by the dynasty's founder. This visual continuity reinforced Sassanid authority and the empire's stability across generations of rule.

The Sassanids faced enemies on their northern and eastern borders: Huns and Turks began threatening their empire. To protect their frontiers, the Sassanids launched their most ambitious construction project: a great wall.

• Built in the 5th century, the Gorgan Wall extended from mountains closing Persia on the east to the Caspian Sea • Stretching 200 km, it is 1000 years older than the Great Wall of China and much longer than any Roman defensive walls • Protected by a water-filled moat, it was studded with nearly 40 forts guarded by garrisons of some 30,000 soldiers • This imposing defensive system crossed plains, hills, and deep gorges

The wall's uniqueness lies in its brick construction, unlike China's Great Wall, Hadrian's Wall, or the Antonine Wall. The iron oxide and salt in Gorgan's soil made bricks turn red when exposed to heat, earning the wall the name 'Red Serpent' as it wound through the plain toward the sea.

The walls were dismantled over centuries, leaving little standing today. However, portions remain intact, with archaeologists uncovering original brick structures at river crossings. The Gorgan Wall testifies to the Sassanid Empire's technical mastery and efficient military organization, maintaining security for 200 years.

No dynasty is eternal, and the Sassanids were no exception. According to Ferdossi, the last sovereigns were merely debauched and cruel kings whose actions led to the decline and fall of the Persian Empire. The Sassanid dynasty ended with years of civil war during which four kings and two queens reigned only months each.

• The dynasty's final years marked by internal conflict and rapid succession of weak rulers • Sovereigns simultaneously defended northern and eastern frontiers while battling each other • The Gorgan Wall's dimensions testified to the great threat they faced • The empire weakened from within as it struggled with external pressures

The Sassanids built their defenses on the wrong side. While they watched the north and east, the real threat came from the west. A tribal nomadic army was on the march and a storm was brewing, but it would come from a different direction than expected.

In the early 7th century, in the Arabian Peninsula, a merchant named Muhammad began receiving what some consider divine revelations. These revelations eventually formed the basis of the Quran and gave body to a movement that would radically change Persia and the ancient world. Islam was born.

Islam was a powerful idea, so powerful that within decades, Islamic armies sent on crusade defeated the imperial forces of the Sassanid dynasty. The Arab invasion constituted the greatest threat ever encountered by the Persians.

Islamic armies advanced rapidly across the Sassanid Empire, bringing the end of Persian imperial rule. The military superiority of the Islamic forces overwhelmed Sassanid resistance despite their sophisticated defensive infrastructure and administrative systems.

Persian resistance to this movement found echoes that still resonate today. The Islamic conquest marked a fundamental shift in Persian history, ending millennia of imperial rule and introducing new religious, political, and cultural frameworks.

• The end of Sassanid imperial power • Transition from Zoroastrianism to Islam as dominant religion • Preservation of Persian language and culture despite conquest • Beginning of Iran's Islamic period that continues to shape the nation today