Iran
Heir to the Achaemenid Persian Empire and 2,500 years of continuous statehood.
Overview
Persia's Achaemenid Empire (550 – 330 BCE) was the world's first true superstate. Successive Parthian, Sasanian, Islamic and Safavid orders kept Persian language, poetry and administrative traditions at the heart of West Asia.
Basic Information
History Timeline
- 550 BCECyrus the Great founds the Achaemenid Empire
- 330 BCEAlexander overthrows Darius III
- 224 – 651 CESasanian Empire
- 651Arab conquest; Islamization of Persia
- 1501Safavid dynasty establishes Twelver Shi'ism
- 1979Islamic Revolution
Ancient Peoples
- Elamites
- Medes
- Persians
- Parthians
Ancient Kingdoms
- Elam
- Median Empire
Empires
- Achaemenid
- Parthian
- Sasanian
- Safavid
- Qajar
Religions
- Zoroastrianism
- Shia Islam
- Sunni Islam
- Bahá'í
- Judaism
- Christianity
Culture
Persian poetry (Ferdowsi, Rumi, Hafez), miniature painting, carpets and gardens have influenced cultures from the Balkans to Bengal.
Language
Persian is an Indo-European language written in the Arabic script since the 10th century.
Important Battles
- Battle of Marathon490 BCE
Greek victory over Darius I
- Battle of Gaugamela331 BCE
Alexander defeats Darius III
- Battle of Chaldiran1514
Ottoman victory over the Safavids
Historical Figures
Founder of the Achaemenid Empire
Administrative organizer of the Persian Empire
Greatest Safavid ruler
Archaeological Sites
- Persepolis
- Pasargadae
- Susa
- Bishapur
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Persepolis
- Pasargadae
- Isfahan's Naqsh-e Jahan Square
- Chogha Zanbil
Dynasties
- Achaemenid
- Parthian (Arsacid)
- Sasanian
- Samanid
- Safavid
- Qajar
- Pahlavi
Colonial Period
Persia was never colonized but was divided into British and Russian spheres of influence in 1907.
Modern History
The 1979 Islamic Revolution replaced the Pahlavi monarchy with a theocratic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini.