Elizabeth Peterson
@elizabeth-peterson
Elizabeth received a bachelor's degree in Persian Language & Literature from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her final paper, as a Mary Gates Scholar, was about how the Tomb of Cyrus the Great was thought of in ancient, medieval, and modern Iran. Additionally, she studied the Persian ghazal and translated poems of medieval poets such as Rumi, Saadi Shirazi, and Jahan Malek Khatun. She then studied Iranian history at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, where she primarily wrote about religious interaction in the Sasanian Empire.
Areas of Expertise
When the Tomb of Cyrus the Great Was Forgotten and Turned Into a Mosque
The tomb of Cyrus the Great was constructed in 530 BCE, but its original purpose was forgotten over the centuries and had to be rediscovered.
Christian Prophets, Saints, and Relics in Zoroastrian Iran
While the Sasanian Empire was primarily Zoroastrian, Christian prophets like Daniel, saints like Sergius, and relics like the True Cross were important in the Iranian state.