Iran has one of the oldest histories in the world, extending more than 5000 years, and throughout history, Iran has been ofgeostrategic importance because of its central location inEurasia and Western Asia. Iran is a founding member of theUN,NAM,OIC,OPEC, andECO. Iran as a majorregional power occupies an important position in the world economy due to its substantial reserves ofpetroleum andnatural gas, and has considerable regional influence in Western Asia. The name Iran is acognate of Aryan and literally means "Land of theAryans."(Full article...)
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Golden medallion of enthronedSasanian style Adud al-Dawla Cast and chased in high relief, holding a goblet and surrounded by attendants, with lions beneath the throne.
Fannā (Panāh) Khusraw (Persian:پناه (فنا) خسرو), better known by hislaqab ofʿAḍud al-Dawla (Arabic:عضد الدولة,lit.'pillar of the dynasty'; 24 September 936 – 26 March 983) was anemir of theBuyid dynasty, ruling from 949 to 983. At the height of his power, he ruled an empire stretching fromMakran toYemen and the shores of theMediterranean Sea. He is widely regarded as the greatest monarch of the Buyid dynasty, and by the end of his reign he was the most powerful ruler in theMiddle East. (Full article...)
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Silverdirham of Al-MuttaqiAH 329 (940/941 CE), with the names of Caliphal-Muttaqi and Bajkam
Abū al-Husayn Bajkam al-Mākānī (Arabic:أبو الحسين بجكم المكاني), referred to asBajkam,Badjkam orBachkam (fromBäčkäm, a Persian and Turkish word meaning a horse- oryak-tail), was aTurkish military commander and official of theAbbasid Caliphate. A formerghulam of theZiyarid dynasty, Bajkam entered Abbasid service following the assassination of the Ziyarid rulerMardavij in 935. During his five-year tenure at the Caliphate's court atBaghdad, he was granted the title ofamir al-umara, consolidating his dominance over the caliphsal-Radi andal-Muttaqi and giving him absolute power over their domains. Bajkam was challenged throughout his rule by various opponents, including his predecessor asamir al-umara,Muhammad ibn Ra'iq, theBasra-based Baridis, and theBuyid dynasty of Iran, but he succeeded in retaining control until his death. He was murdered by a party ofKurds during a hunting excursion in 941, shortly after the accession of al-Muttaqi as Caliph. Bajkam was known both for his firm rule and for his patronage of Baghdad intellectuals, who respected and in some cases befriended him. His death led to a void in central power, resulting in a brief period of instability and fighting in Baghdad. (Full article...)
The son of the governor ofBust, Maymandi was raised as thefoster brother of the Ghaznavid prince Mahmud, and would first start his administrative career as the head of the department of correspondences ofKhorasan. He would thereafter rapidly rise to higher offices, finally becoming thevizier of the Ghaznavid dynasty in 1013, which would last until 1024, when he was arrested due to the great amount of wealth that he had gained, which the suspicious Mahmud disliked. (Full article...)
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The Iranian Embassy, severely damaged by fire following the end of the siege
The gunmen,Iranian Arabs campaigning for the sovereignty of theKhuzestan Province of Iran, took 26 people hostage, including embassy staff, several visitors, and a police officer who had been guarding the embassy. They demanded the release of prisoners in Khuzestan and their own safe passage out of the United Kingdom. The British government quickly decided that safe passage would not be granted and a siege ensued. Subsequently, police negotiators secured the release of five hostages in exchange for minor concessions, such as the broadcasting of the hostage-takers' demands onBritish television. (Full article...)
Alexander III of Macedon (Ancient Greek:Ἀλέξανδρος,romanized: Aléxandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known asAlexander the Great, was king of theancient Greek kingdom ofMacedon. He succeeded his fatherPhilip II to the throne in 336 BC at the age of 20 and spent most of ruling years conductinga lengthy military campaign throughout parts ofAsia andEgypt. By the age of 30, he had created one of thelargest empires in history, stretching fromGreece to northwesternIndia. He was undefeated in battle and is widely considered to be one of history's greatest and most successful military commanders.
It is unclear if there was a formally established constitution dictating the laws, organization, and divisions of power in ancient Macedonia's government, although some tangential evidence suggests this. The king (basileus) served as thehead of state and was assisted by hisnoble companions androyal pages. Kings served as the chief judges of the kingdom, although little is known about Macedonia'sjudiciary. The kings were also expected to serve ashigh priests of the nation, using their wealth to sponsor variousreligious cults. The Macedonian kings had command over certain natural resources such as gold from mining and timber from logging. The right to mintgold, silver, and bronze coins was shared by thecentral and local governments. (Full article...)
Khachatur Abovian (Armenian:Խաչատուր Աբովյան,romanized: Khach’atur Abovyan; October 15 [O.S. October 3] 1809 – disappeared April 14 [O.S. April 2] 1848) was an Armenian polymath, educator, scientist, philosopher, writer, poet and an advocate of modernization. He mysteriously vanished in 1848 and was eventually presumed dead. Reputed as the father ofmodern Armenian literature, he is best remembered for his novelWounds of Armenia. Written in 1841 and published posthumously in 1858, it was the first novel published in theModern Armenian language, based on theYerevan dialect instead ofClassical Armenian.
Abovian was far ahead of his time and virtually none of his works were published during his lifetime. Only after the establishment of theArmenian SSR was Abovian accorded recognition and stature. Abovian is regarded as one of the foremost figures not just in Armenian literature, butArmenian history at large. Abovian's influence onWestern Armenian literature was not as strong as it was on Eastern Armenian, particularly in its formative years. (Full article...)
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Part of Mount Mycale, viewed from the ruins ofPriene
The previous year, the Persian invasion force, led by Xerxes himself, had scored victories at the battles ofThermopylae andArtemisium, and conqueredThessaly,Boeotia andAttica; however, at the ensuingBattle of Salamis, the Greek navy had won an unlikely victory, and therefore prevented the conquest of thePeloponnese. Xerxes then retreated, leaving his generalMardonius with a substantial army to finish off the Greeks the following year. (Full article...)
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Relief withNaram-Sin of Akkad's portrait. Naram-Sin, who reigned between 2254 and 2218 BC, created the title of King of the Four Corners of the World. Relief today housed at theIstanbul Archaeological Museum. King of the Four Corners of the World (Sumerian:lugal-an-ub-da-limmu-ba,Akkadian:šarru kibrat arbaim,šar kibrāti arbaʾi, oršar kibrāt erbetti), alternatively translated asKing of the Four Quarters of the World,King of the Heaven's Four Corners orKing of the Four Corners of the Universe and often shortened to simplyKing of the Four Corners, was a title of great prestige claimed by powerful monarchs inancient Mesopotamia. Though the term "four corners of the world" does refer to specific geographical places within and near Mesopotamia itself, these places were (at the time the title was first used) thought to represent locations near the actual edges of the world and as such, the title should be interpreted assomething equivalent to "King of all the known world", a claim to universal rule over the entire world and everything within it.
Abu Ahmad Ṭalḥa ibnJaʿfar ibnMuḥammad ibnHārūn al-Muwaffaq bi'Llah (Arabic:أبو أحمد طلحة بن جعفر; 29 November 843 – 2 June 891), better known by hislaqab asAl-Muwaffaq Billah (Arabic:الموفق بالله,lit.'Blessed of God'), was anAbbasid prince and military leader, who acted as thede facto regent of theAbbasid Caliphate for most of the reign of his brother,Caliphal-Mu'tamid. His stabilization of the internal political scene after the decade-long "Anarchy at Samarra", his successful defence ofIraq against theSaffarids and the suppression of theZanj Rebellion restored a measure of the Caliphate's former power and began a period of recovery, which culminated in the reign of al-Muwaffaq's own son, the Caliphal-Mu'tadid. (Full article...)
TheAzadi Tower (Persian:برج آزادی,Borj-e Āzādi;translated:Freedom Tower), previously known as theShahyād Āryāmehr (Persian:شهیاد آریامهر; English:King Memorial Tower), is the symbol ofTehran, thecapital ofIran, and marks the entrance to the city.
...that Russia won the1804–1813 Russo-Persian War, because of its superior technology, despitePersia upscaling its efforts at the end of the war, and declaring it aholy war?
...that theIran-Pakistan barrier is currently being constructed byIran along its border withPakistan to stop illegal migration and thwart terror attacks?
TheAssembly of Experts (Persian:مجلس خبرگان رهبری,romanized: majles-e xobregân-e rahbari), also translated as theAssembly of Experts of the Leadership or as theCouncil of Experts, is the deliberative body empowered to appoint theSupreme Leader of Iran. All directly elected members must first be vetted by theGuardian Council.
All candidates to the Assembly of Experts must be approved by the Guardian Council whose members are, in turn, appointed either directly or indirectly by the Supreme Leader. The Assembly consists of 88Mujtahids that are elected from lists of thoroughly vetted candidates (in 2016, 166 candidates were approved by the Guardians out of 801 who applied to run for the office), by direct public vote for eight-year terms. The number of members has ranged from 82 elected in 1982 to 88 elected in 2016. Current laws require the assembly to meet at least twice every six months. (Full article...)
Simon I the Great (Georgian:სიმონ I დიდი,romanized:simon I didi), also known asSvimon (Georgian:სვიმონი,romanized:svimoni;c. 1537 – 1611), of theBagrationi dynasty, was aGeorgianking (mepe) ofKartli from 1556 to 1569 and again from 1578 to 1599. His first tenure was marked by war against thePersian domination of Georgia. In 1569 he was captured by the Persians, and spent nine years in captivity. In 1578 he was released and reinstalled in Kartli. During this period (i.e. his second tenure), he fought as a Persian subject against theOttoman domination of Georgia. In 1599 Simon I was captured by the Ottomans and died in captivity. During 1557 to 1569 he was known asMahmud Khan (Persian:محمود خان,romanized: Mahmūd Khān) and from 1578 to 1599 asShahnavaz Khan (Persian:شاهنواز خان,romanized: Shāhnavāz Khān). He was also referred to asSimon the Mad (Turkish:Deli Simon) by the Ottomans. (Full article...)
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Thecinema of Iran (Persian:سینمای ایران), or ofPersia, refers to the film industry inIran. In particular, Iranianart films have garnered international recognition. Iranian films are usually written and spoken in thePersian language. Iran has been lauded as one of the best exporters of cinema in the 1990s. Some critics now rank Iran as the world's most important national cinema, artistically, with a significance that invites comparison toItalian neorealism and similar movements in past decades. A range of international film festivals have honoured Iranian cinema in the last twenty years.
Many film critics from around the world have praised Iranian cinema as one of the world's most important artistic cinemas. (Full article...)
TheLittle Zab orLower Zab (Arabic:الزاب الاسفل,al-Zāb al-Asfal;Kurdish:Zêy Koya orZêyê Biçûk;Persian:زاب کوچک,Zâb-e Kuchak;Syriac:ܙܒܐ ܬܚܬܝܐ,Zāba Taḥtāya) is a river that originates inIran and joins theTigris just south ofAl Zab inIraq. The Little Zab is approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi) long and drains an area of about 22,000 square kilometres (8,500 sq mi). The river is fed by rainfall and snowmelt, resulting in a peakdischarge in the spring and low water in the summer and early fall. Two dams built on the Little Zab regulate the river flow, providing water forirrigation and generatinghydroelectricity.
TheZagros Mountains have been populated since at least theLower Palaeolithic, but the earliest archaeological site in the Little Zab basin, Barda Balka, dates to theMiddle Palaeolithic. Human occupation of the Little Zab basin has been attested for every period since then. (Full article...)
Tiridates I (Parthian:𐭕𐭉𐭓𐭉𐭃𐭕,Tīridāt;Ancient Greek:Τιριδάτης,Tiridátes) wasKing of Armenia beginning in 53 AD and the founder of theArsacid dynasty of Armenia. The dates of his birth and death are unknown. His early reign was marked by a brief interruption towards the end of the year 54 and a much longer one from 58 to 63. In an agreement to resolve theRoman–Parthian conflict in and over Armenia, Tiridates I, who was one of the brothers ofVologases I of Parthia, was crowned king of Armenia by the Roman emperorNero in 66; in the future, the king of Armenia was to be a Parthian prince, but his appointment required approval from the Romans. Even though this made Armenia aclient kingdom, various contemporary Roman sources thought that Nero hadde facto ceded Armenia to theParthian Empire.
In addition to being king, Tiridates I was also aZoroastrian priest and was accompanied by othermagi on his journey to Rome in 66. In the early 20th century,Franz Cumont speculated that Tiridates was instrumental in the development ofMithraism which ultimately became the main religion of the Roman Army and spread across the whole empire. Furthermore, during his reign, he started reforming the administrative structure of Armenia, a reform which was continued by his successors, and which brought manyIranian customs and offices into it. (Full article...)
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From one of the lowestenergy intensity users in the world in 1980, Iran has become one of the major consumers of energy with very high energy intensity. Theeconomy of Iran includes a lot ofsubsidies. Food items, such as flour and cooking oil, are subsidized, along with fuels such as gasoline. However cutting subsidies can cause civil unrest.
By the 7th century BC, the region ofPersis, located in the southwestern part of the Iranian plateau, had been settled byPersians. From Persis, Cyrus rose and defeatedMedia,Lydia, and theNeo-Babylonian Empire, thus marking the establishment of a new imperial polity in theancient Near East. While its conquests were largely successful in most regions, the Achaemenid Empire's attempts to expand intoGreece proved extremely difficult over the course ofdecades of wars and multiple kings, ultimately resulting in its defeat in theGreek mainland. (Full article...)
In the Caucasus, the Qajar dynasty permanently lost much territory to theRussian Empire over the course of the 19th century, comprising modern-day easternGeorgia,Dagestan,Azerbaijan, andArmenia. Despite its territorial losses, Qajar Iran reinvented the Iranian notion of kingship and maintained relative political independence, but faced major challenges to its sovereignty, predominantly from the Russian andBritish empires. Foreign advisers became powerbrokers in the court and military. They eventually partitioned Qajar Iran in the 1907Anglo-Russian Convention, carving out Russian and British influence zones and a neutral zone. (Full article...)
Inheriting a reinvigorated empire atwar with the Byzantines, Khosrow I signed a peace treaty with them in 532, known as thePerpetual Peace, in which the Byzantine emperorJustinian I paid 11,000 pounds of gold to the Sasanians. Khosrow then focused on consolidating his power, executing conspirators, including his uncleBawi. Dissatisfied with the actions of the Byzantine clients and vassals, theGhassanids, and encouraged byOstrogoth envoys fromItaly, Khosrow violated the peace treaty and declared war against the Byzantines in 540. He sacked the major city ofAntioch and deported its population to Persia. In 541, he invadedLazica and made it an Iranian protectorate, thus initiating theLazic War. In 545, the two empires agreed to halt the wars inMesopotamia andSyria while continuing to fight in Lazica. A truce was declared in 557, and by 562 thefifty-year peace treaty was signed. (Full article...)
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Oy is the third studio album by the Iranian singer-songwriterMohsen Namjoo afterToranj andJabr-e Joghrafiyaei. Released on 6 October 2009 this was Namjoo's first album produced and published outside Iran.
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