2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire
The Celebration of the 2,500th Anniversary of the Founding of the Persian Empire (Persian: جشنهای دوهزار و پانصدمین سال بنیانگذاری شاهنشاهی ایران) was a national event in Iran that consisted of an elaborate set of grand festivities during October 1971 to celebrate the founding of the ancient Achaemenid Empire by Cyrus the Great. The intent of the celebration was to highlight Iran's ancient civilization and history as well as to showcase its contemporary advances under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The celebrations highlighted pre-Islamic origins of the country while promoting Cyrus the Great as a national hero. Note that the celebration was actually 2,520 years after the founding of the Archaemenid Empire, as it was founded in 550 BC.
The Cyrus Charter of Cyrus the Great served as the centrepiece of the national event's emblem | |
Persepolis Location of the ancient Iranian city of Persepolis, where the main celebratory events were held due to its status as the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire | |
| Native name | دوهزار و پانصدمین سال بنیانگذاری شاهنشاهی ایران |
|---|---|
| Date | 12–16 October 1971 |
| Location | Imperial State of Iran |
| Coordinates | 29°56′04″N 52°53′29″E |
| Also known as | 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire |
Some historians argue that this massive celebration contributed to events that culminated in the 1979 Iranian Revolution while others argue that the extravagance of the proceedings was exaggerated by revolutionaries motivated to discredit the Shah's regime. As a result, some accounts of the event may have overstated its cost and luxury.