ABSTRACT

It is the dawn of history and of the dispersion of the Indo-European peoples. They are breaking their tents in central Asia along the Hindu Kush and the Pamirs, primitive Aryans with their dogs and their herds of domesticated animals. In their trek they will proceed to the farthest confines of Europe. From them the peoples of England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Russia, Greece and other will take their origin. A part will penetrate into India and another portion into Persia. They will build empires and munitions factories, cathedrals and cabarets. Some less simple-minded, the Kurds, Lurs and Bakhtiaris will maintain in Persia their primitive character into the twentieth century.

With them in their dispersion, the Aryans carry the sacred fire which they have worshiped since they became acquainted with its use. It was man's first great step in the mastery of nature. The memory of its aid will be consecrated in one of the World's great religions; its flame will never be extinguised on the great Iranian plateau, the museums of religions.

chapter II|23 pages

Persepolis, Cradle of the Persian Nation

chapter III|32 pages

Rose-Petaled Shiraz and Peerless Ispahan

chapter IV|23 pages

The Desert Cities of Kerman and Yezd

chapter V|17 pages

Mithraism, the Magi and Zoroastrianism

chapter VII|19 pages

Religions in Persia after Zoroaster

chapter VIII|53 pages

Through Persian Azerbaijan and Kurdistan

chapter X|33 pages

Teheran and the Caspian Provinces

chapter XII|21 pages

The March of Modernism in Persia