Iran: Elements of Destiny

A companion volume to Persia - Bridge of Turquoise, a book which met with worldwide acclaim, Iran - Elements of Destiny is a dramatic rendering of modern Iran- "a country and culture as old as time and as new as tomorrow.

The product of Roloff Beny's sixteen years of exhaustive journeys and research in all provinces to explore and evaluate the intricate visual aspects of Iran's technological developments, Iran - Elements of Destiny is actually seven books in one. Photographic images, entirely in color, reveal the Iranian experience of the four elements of Earth, Air, Water and Fire; the nature of Iran's spiritual heritage and social structure; the nature of Majesty, expressed through the Imperial Family; and a vision of Iran's future.

Extensive models both of human and resource development planned for this new yet most ancient of nations are graphically presented in a separate folio - Vision. A message by the Shahanshah is forcefully enhanced by the essays of Iranian scholars, providing a platform of history, an assessment of the present and a promise of the future.

Massive industrial complexes vie with the treasures of traditional artistry; futuristic technology coexists with imaginative plans for wildlife development; poetry and nature; society in all its dimensions; the architects and artists of today; the vision of tomorrow - all meet in the pages of this book.

Ivan - Elements of Destiny is a modern portrait of one of the world's great nations, the meeting place of East and West, a state that has emerged as a vital link in the community of nations.

Illustrated with 457 color plates, 39 halftones and 26 line engravings.

Designed and Photographed by Roloff Beny
Editorial direction by Shahrokh Amirarjomand
Notes to the plates by Michell Crites