TEHRAN –- A statue of the Persian mythical character Arash the Archer was unveiled at Tehran’s Sadabad Cultural Complex on February 4.

The seven meter statue was put on show during a ceremony attended by the sculptor Mir Hossein Arjangnejad and director of the cultural complex Afshin Karami.
Arjangnejad’s apprentice Hossein Vanaki, who was present at the ceremony and who had cooperated with his master in making the statue, made a speech in which he described the work they had undertaken.
It is not important whether Arash really existed or whether he is only a myth. What is important is that Iranian people believe in him and award him the honor of being a great hero, he mentioned.
The construction of the statue took four months. It was molded and erected at the Sadabad venue. The statue is made up of composite material so as to be resistant to cold weather.
Legend has it that Arash shot an arrow from the peak of Mount Damavand (Iran’s highest mountain) to mark the border of Iran and Turan after the long-lasting war between the two countries. The arrow fell on the bank of the River Oxus in what is now Central Asia. Arash, who had pulled his bow with all his strength, collapsed to the ground on Mount Damavand and passed away.