The Qajar Dynasty of Iran

The Qajars reigned from 1796 to 1925. At left, is a painting of my great-grandfather Prince"Shir Khan Qajar"circa 1880. He was married to Princess "Ezzat-Dowleh," a sister of the King of Persia, "Nasser-al-Din Shah Qajar," who reigned from 1848 to 1896. Nasser-al-Din Shah was always accessible to any one of his subjects who had a demand or pressed forward with a petition.

In 1873 he acquired one of the most remarkable objects ever created, a globe made of 51,000 gems and 75 pounds of pure gold. The sea consists of emeralds, the land is a mass of rubies. Persia, France, England, and part of south-east Asia are outlined in diamonds, and Africa south of the Sahara and part of Egypt are in sapphires. Even under the Islamic Republic the crown jewels remain a vital part of Iran's currency reserve.

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• My father Anoshiravan Sepahbody Qajar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran and my mother. They were cousins. He was also Ambassador to Switzerland, the League of Nations, Italy, the U.S.S.R., France, Turkey, Egypt, and the Vatican. My father was instrumental in creating a modern Iranian navy. Although Iran was neutral during World War II, many vessels were sunk by the British navy in a sneak dead of the night attack. A sort of Pearl Harbor few cared to talk about. See also my father and pressure by the American Ambassador to Iran.

Click here for Photo Album No.1
Click here for Photo Album No.2

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At right is another crown jewel, "Fifi" our Persian cat. Cats are noble and the aristocrats of the animal world. Many Persian Kings were cat lovers. Do you know that Winston Churchill and the Soviet revolutionary leader Lenin were both cat fanciers? During the Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln was visiting the camp of general Grant he found three half-frozen cats and promptly adopted them. Today, there is a cat named "Socks" living in the White House. My wife Angela and I had a happy life, thanks to many loving good cats and a dog named "Bully".

Here is what Saideh Pakravan said in her Washington cross-cultural review "Chanteh": "When you have been a diplomat all your life, representing your country and its interests, and that country no longer needs you, what do you do? If you are former ambassador Farhad Sepahbody, you become Envoy Extraordinaire to intergalactic beings, the Lemurians."

So what am I doing in gorgeous Sedona, Arizona? >Just writing my memoires, staying in touch with the Lemurians, (part 1 and 2,) enjoying life and waiting for the right time to go back!

"Gajereh" ski resort near Tehran with majestic Mount Damavand in background

You can reach me by e-mail at: sepa@sedona.net