Documentary on Ancient Lorestan by Manouchehr Tayyab

A new film on the cultural heritage of Lorestan Province by veteran documentarian Manouchehr Tayyab has been completed.

Tayyab, who also specializes in archaeology and cultural heritage, has made “Lorestan, the Ancient Land of the Kassites.”

Kassites were an ancient federation of several nomadic tribes in the central Zagros Mountains, a region known today as Lorestan. They dominated Mesopotamia from the 16th to the 12th century BC.

Produced by the Documentary & Experimental Film Center, the film follows the work of archaeologist Ata Hassanpour over 10 years, ISNA reported on its Persian website.

It is about Hassanpour’s studies and explorations in Lorestan and refers to his writings during the decade.

“Due to the relentless efforts of Ata Hassanpour, the documentary can be an interesting work for archaeologists and enthusiasts of Iran’s ancient culture. The film could also be referred to as a document related to cultural heritage preservation projects, particularly those in Lorestan and central Zagros Mountains,” Tayyab said.

The 64-minute film is written and directed by Tayyab who also conducted research work for his film.

Tayyab, 80, has made more than 100 short and long documentaries, including a series on Persian architecture in the Seljuk (1037-1194), Ilkhanate (1256-1339), Timurid (1370-1507) and Safavid (1501-1722) periods.

Short documentaries on Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, the Chehel-Sotoun edifice in Isfahan, Qara Kelisa or the Monastery of Saint Thaddeus in Chaldoran, West Azarbaijan Province, are among his better known works.

  Lorestan in Days of Old

Lorestan, also spelled Luristan, is a mountainous region in western Iran. Archaeological investigations in Luristan have unearthed tools and artifacts from the Middle Paleolithic, Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Bronze Age.  The earliest known inhabitants of the territories presently occupied by Lur ethnic group were the Elamites, who settled in the area as early as 3000 BC. Later, the Kassites, who are well known for their bronze artifacts, lived in Lorestan as early as second millennium BC, while the Elamites continued to hold part of their territories. The Kassites formed a dynasty, conquered Babylonia in 1747 BC and dominated Mesopotamia for 576 years.