Hara Berezaiti

Hara Berezaiti (Avestan: 𐬵𐬀𐬭𐬁⸱𐬠𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬰𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬍, meaning 'High Watch') stands as a sacred mountain or mountain range within Zoroastrian cosmology. Throughout history, this mythical peak has been connected with several actual mountains, most notably the Alborz mountain range spanning northern Iran.

In the ancient Avestan texts, Mount Hara serves as the divine dwelling place of Mithra. Later Zoroastrian scriptures such as the Bundahishn describe it as the cosmic axis around which celestial bodies orbit, functioning as the universe's central point. This sacred mountain also marks the threshold between the mortal realm and the afterlife. Persian legend recounts how the legendary hero Fereydun bound the tyrannical Zahhak upon Hara Berezaiti's slopes. The mountain's name persists today in various forms across numerous peaks throughout the Iranian cultural sphere.

While fundamentally a mythological location in Zoroastrian texts, Hara Berezaiti has been identified with actual geographical features throughout Iranian history. The Alborz range, containing Iran's tallest summit Mount Damavand, represents one prominent association. Another significant connection is with Mount Elbrus, the Caucasus Mountains' highest peak. Beyond these major examples, numerous smaller mountains bear names derived from Hara, including Mount Alborz in Fars province's Jahrom County.