Cyrus
This is a replica of a Bas-Relief found in
Pasargadae, the capital city of Persia founded by Cyrus. It depicts Cyrus the
Great ( 580-529 BC).
Cyrus was the first Achaemenian Emperor of
Persia, who issued a decree on his aims and policies, later hailed as his
charter of the rights of nations. Inscribed on a clay cylinder, this is known to
be the first declaration of Human Rights, and is now kept at the British Museum.
A replica of this is also at the United Nations in New York.
The Bas-relief shown here by Lewis Batros, a
Sydney Artist, was put up at Sydney's Bicentennial Park, October 1994, through
the efforts of the Australian Iranian community with donations from all over the
world and contributions from the NSW Local Government.
It symbolizes Multiculturalism, a word coined
to express the coexistence and peaceful cohabitation of peoples from different
background and culture in one land. A doctrine which is the foundation of
advanced societies especially in Australia and the USA and which was also
Cyrus's Claim to fame.
At a time when Iran bashing was the rule and
the norm, this gesture by the New South Wales Government was seen as a welcoming
sign by the Iranian community and the event has since been annually remembered
during the Mehregan Festival in September.
Please visit the other pages in this site for
a more detailed account. Make a bookmark to come back, and thank you so much for
visiting, I hope that your experience has been a good one.
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