Land of the Turquoise Mountains

A compelling personal journey of discovery, illuminating the Iran that lies beyond the headlines.
For Cyrus Massoudi, a young British-born Iranian, the country his parents were forced to flee thirty years ago was a place wholly unknown to him. Wanting to make sense of his roots and piece together the divided, divisive and deeply contradictory puzzle that is contemporary Iran, he embarked on a series of journeys that spanned hundreds of miles and thousands of years through the many ebbs and flows of Iranian history.
Rich portrayals of Sufis and ageing aristocrats, smugglers and underground rock bands are all woven together with history, religion and mythology to form a unique portrait of contemporary Iranian society. The thread running through the heart of the narrative is Massoudi's poignant personal quest; his struggle echoing that of Iran itself, as it fights to forge a cohesive modern identity.
Land of the Turquoise Mountains reveals a world beyond the propaganda-driven, media-fuelled image of fractious, flag-burning fundamentalism and provides a compelling glimpse both into the heart of a deeply misunderstood nation and what it is to seek out and discover one's heritage.

Cyrus Massoudi was born in London. After completing his studies at Edinburgh University, he moved to Iran where he spent three years on a journey of self-discovery, travelling and researching this book. He now lives in London with his wife and daughter, working as a writer, screenwriter and translator. This is his first book.