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[[File:Afrasiyab Executes Nauzar Wellcome L0068903.jpg|thumb|Scene from the Shahnameh. Afrasiyab (standing figure) executes [[Nowzar]]Nauzar (lying down). [[Wellcome Library]].]]▼

{{About|an Iranian mythical hero|the village in Iran|Afrasiab, Iran|the ancient site of northern Samarkand|Afrasiyab (Samarkand)|other uses|Afrasiyab (disambiguation){{!}}Afrasiyab}}

{{Infobox

| bodystyle =

| bodyclass = vcard

| titlestyle =

| title =

| abovestyle = background: #CD853F

| aboveclass = fn org

| above = Afrasiab

| imagestyle =

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| image =[[File:Afrasiyab (The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp).png|center|200px]]

| caption =Painting of Afrasiab in the Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp▼

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| labelstyle =

| datastyle =

| header1 =[[Shahnameh]] Mens

| label2 =Name

| data2 =Afrasiab

| label3 =Posts

| data3 =Prince, Commander, King

| label4 =His secretary

| data4 =[[Piran Viseh|Piran]]

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| header14 =Other Information

| label15 =Well known

| data15 =Enemy of the Iranians

| label16 =killed

| data16 =[[Kay Khosrow]]

| label17 =Wars

| data17 =[[Iran-Turan war]]<br/>[[Iran-Turan Second war]]<br/>[[Great Kay Khosrow War]]

| label18 =

| data18 =

| label19 =Historical similarity

| data19 =[[Ashurnasirpal II|Ashurnasirpal]]

| label20 =Religion

| data20 =Unknown

| header21 =Family members

| label22 =Father Name

| data22 =[[Zadashm]]

| label23 =grandfather

| data23 =[[Tur (Shahnameh)|Tur]]

| label24 =Children

| data24 =[[Farangis]], [[Shideh (Shahnameh)|Shideh]]

| label25 =Brothers

| data25 =[[Garsivaz]], [[Aghrirat]]<br/>[[Jahn (Shahnameh)|Jahn]], [[Surkha (Shahnameh)|Surkha]]

}}

'''Afrasiab''' ({{lang-fa|{{nastaliq|افراسياب|fa}}}} ''afrāsiyāb''; {{lang-ae|Fraŋrasyan}}; [[Middle-Persian]]: ''Frāsiyāv, Frāsiyāk,'' and ''Freangrāsyāk'') is the name of the mythical king and hero of [[Turan]]. He is the main antagonist of the Persian epic [[Shahnameh]], written by [[Ferdowsi]].

==The mythical king and hero==

▲|[[File:Afrasiyab caption(The Shahnama of Shah =Tahmasp).png|200px|thumbnail|right|Painting of Afrasiab in the Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp]]

According to the ''[[Shahnameh]]'' (''Book of Kings''), by the Persian epic poet [[Ferdowsi]], Afrasiab was the king and hero of Turan and an archenemy of Iran. In Iranian mythology, Afrasiab is considered by far the most prominent of all [[Turanian]] kings; he is a formidable warrior, a skilful general, and an agent of [[Ahriman]], who is endowed with magical powers of deception to destroy Iranian civilization.<ref name="ei">Yarshater, E., "Afrasiab", ''[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]'' - digital library; accessed January 18, 2007.</ref>

According to Islamic sources, Afrasiab was a descendant of [[Tur (son of Fereydun)|Tūr]] (Avestan: ''Tūriya-''), one of the three sons of the Iranian mythical King [[Fereydun]] (the other two sons being [[Salm (son of Fereydun)|Salm]] and [[Īrāj|Iraj]]). In ''[[Bundahishn]]'', he is named as the seventh grandson of Tūr. In [[Avesta|Avestan traditions]], his common epithet ''mairya-'' (deceitful, villainous<ref>Nyberg H. S., ''Die Religionen des Alten Iran'', Berlin (1938), p. 257</ref>) can be interpreted as meaning 'an [[evil]] man'. He lived in a subterranean fortress made of metal, called Hanakana.

According to Avestan sources, Afrasiab was killed by [[Haoma]] near the ''Čīčhast'' (possibly either referring to [[Lake Hamun]] in [[Sistan and Baluchestan Province|Sistan]] or some unknown lake in today's Central Asia), and according to Shahnameh he met his death in a cave known as the Hang-e Afrasiab, or the dying place of Afrasiab, on a mountaintop in [[Azerbaijan]]. The fugitive Afrasiab, having been repeatedly defeated by the armies of his adversary, the mythical King of Iran [[Kai Khosrow|Kay Khosrow]] (who happened to be his own grandson, through his daughter [[Farangis]]), wandered wretchedly and fearfully around, and eventually took refuge in this cave and died<ref>The names of the people or myths in the Shahnameh such as Afrasiab or Rostam and others should not be considered a specific name. These are nicknames, such as colonel, captain or soldier. Ferdowsi may have included these titles separately in lists and categories for lack of names. For example, Afrasiab of Nowzar era may not be Kay Khosrow Afrasiab time, but if Afrasiab is a military nickname, it will be everywhere in the Shahnameh story.</ref>.

{{-}}

== Gallery ==

<gallery>

"Siyavush Plays Polo before Afrasiyab", Folio 180v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp MET DP107142.jpg|[[Siyâvash]] Plays [[Chovgan]] before Afrasiyab

Shahnameh illustration - IMJ B69-0633.jpeg|Afrasiyab invites Siyâvash to hunt

"Rustam's First Encounter with Afrasiyab", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) MET DP215922.jpg|[[Rostam]] First Encounter with Afrasiyab

▲Afrasiyab Executes Nauzar Wellcome L0068903.jpg|Scene from the Shahnameh. Afrasiyab (standing figure) executes [[Nowzar]] (lying down). [[Wellcome Library]]

Afrasiyab Killing Naudar, a folio from the Great Mongol Shahnama (Book of Kings) - Google Art Project.jpg|Afrasiyab Killing [[Nowzar]]

Brooklyn Museum - Folio from a "Shahnameh" The Iranians Capture Afrasiyab's Fortress.jpg|The Iranians Capture Afrasiyab

"Afrasiyab on the Iranian Throne", Folio 105r from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp MET DP107132.jpg|Afrasiyab on the Iranian Throne After the [[Iran-Turan war]]

</gallery>

==See also==

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{{reflist}}

==SourcesExternal links==

*[[Ferdowsi]] Shahnameh. From the Moscow version. Mohammed Publishing. {{ISBN | 964-5566-35-5}}

* [[Ehsan Yarshater]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20071217105445/http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f6/v1f6a008.html "Afrāsiāb"], ''[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]''

* [http://www.theshahnameh.com Afrasiab featured in Rostam Comic Book]

* [http://www.barabass.ru/eng/7.php The battle of Rustam and Afrasiab] on Asian miniature

==External links==

{{Shahnameh}}

{{Other Shahnameh characters}}

{{Shahnameh-stub}}

[[Category:Shahnameh characters]]

[[Category:Shahnameh stories]]

[[Category:Shahnameh stubs]]

[[Category:Mythological kings]]