Editing Tirgan Iranian Festival (section)

==The Legend of Tirgan==

Although there are many legends surrounding the origins of Tirgan, the most common relates to the story of Arash-e-Kamangir (lit. Arash the Archer). To settle a territorial dispute, it was decided that Arash, the most acclaimed archer among the Iranians, would shoot an arrow (‘Tir’ in Persian) from Mount Damavand whose landing place would determine the boundary between the kingdoms of Iran and Turan (the land of the Turkic peoples). After soaring from dawn until noon, the arrow finally descended on the banks of the Oxus river in Central Asia, expanding Iran’s boundaries beyond expectation. The inclusion of myriad diverse cultures in the land of Iran was a cause for celebration, and thus Tirgan was born. To this date, Iran has retained its legacy of diversity, being home to over 15 different ethnic groups, each with their own unique, yet unmistakably Iranian culture and heritage.