Ārash-e Kamāngīr: Qesseh-hā-ye Shāhnāmeh 4 Persiska (Farsi) 2025

The story of Arash the Archer tells of one of the most enduring heroic figures in Iranian mythology—a warrior who sacrifices his life to preserve the borders of his homeland and becomes a symbol of devotion, freedom, and patriotism in Iranian collective memory.

After long and devastating wars between Iran and Turan, the dispute over the boundary between the two lands remained unresolved. Afrasiab, the king of Turan, proposed a cunning solution: the new border would be determined by the flight of a single arrow—wherever it landed would mark the eastern limit of Iran. Manuchehr, king of Iran, reluctantly accepted. Only Arash, the greatest archer of Iran, possessed the skill for such a task. Fully aware that this arrow would be the last of his life, Arash willingly accepted the responsibility.

Arash climbed to the heights of the Alborz Mountains, set his arrow to the bow, and released it with all his strength. The arrow flew from dawn until sunset, finally landing near the River Jihun, extending Iran’s borders by hundreds of leagues and saving the country from foreign domination.

After releasing the arrow, Arash gave his life—becoming, in the cultural memory of Iran, a timeless symbol of sacrifice and duty.
This new edition of The tale of Arash the Archer, illustrated by Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz and rewritten by Maziar Baghlani and Eilnaz Ebrahimi, is published by Barf Publishing for young readers.