That city is ruled by the noble King Sharaman ( Ronald Pickup). Fair enough, since Persia reaches “from the steppes of China to the shores of the Mediterranean,” but it's even more impressive since it's all within a day's journey from the capital city. This is a land with truly astonishing landscapes: deserts, canyons, craggy monument valleys and a mountain range that resembles the Himalayas. The movie is set in ancient Persia, which is now named Iran.