The Immortal Land

Item No. I-4

Detail of Darius I's Triumphant Return

Darius was only 29 when his first royal portrait was carved at Bisutun.  The full stiff beard, the thicket of ringlets at the nape of the neck and the flat curls pressed to the forehead are stylistic elements based on rendering of Assyrian sovereigns whose reigns preceded that of Darius.

Above his head is the Faravahar, which is the recognised symbol of Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god.  More accurately, it is the human spirit, which exists before birth and continues to exist after physical death, seeking unity with Ahura Mazda.