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In Iran, history whispers in the wind. Wandering through ancient ruins, we can still feel the echoes of Zahhak, the mythical serpent-king. From the bazaars of Shiraz to the dunes of the Yazd desert, his name is still whispered, as if he were listening.
The Shahnameh, or Book of Kings, is a monumental Persian epic written by Ferdowsi around the year 1000. It tells the mythical and historical story of Iran from the dawn of time to the Arab conquest. More than just a literary masterpiece, it is a symbol of cultural identity and resistance, written in Persian at a time when Arabic dominated.
One of its most powerful tales is that of Zahhak, a prince who becomes a tyrant with serpents growing from his shoulders - fed daily with the brains of the innocent. But from the people rises Kaveh, a blacksmith who sparks a rebellion and helps overthrow the tyrant.
Zahhak is not killed, but chained beneath Mount Damavand - his evil contained, but never entirely gone.
A journey where the line between myth and reality blurs beneath the Persian sun.