Ancient Iran: Did you mean...?

In this video podcast, we'll take a look at one of the most overlooked peoples of ancient history, the Medes, and reconstruct their early history using Assyrian, Babylonian and Greek sources, namely Herodotus (the Medes don't have any primary...

The Iranian Revolution (1978-1979) was the social movement that arose from widespread and diverse discontent with the monarchic government of Iran. The revolution was fought against the regime of Mohammad Reza Shah (r. 1941-1979), and it...

Terracotta goblet with gazelles and ibexes, found in grave no. 725 in Shahr-e Sukhteh, southern Iran, Early Bronze Age, c. 2800-2400 BCE. National Museum of Iran, Tehran, acc. no. 12947. Photo by Nima Fakoorzadeh (Baloot Noghrei) Shahr-e...

Luristan Bronze artefact from Iron Age II or III, c. 950-650 BCE. National Museum of Iran, Tehran. Acc. no. 3915, Photograph by Nima Fakourzadeh (Baloot Noghrei) In archaeology, the cast objects with bronze decorations obtained from the...

Early Elamite clay tablet with numerical signs found in Tappeh Yahya, Kerman, dating to c. 3100 to 2900 BCE (Yahya Period IVc). National Museum of Iran, Tehran, inv. no. 4065. Photo by Nima Fakoorzadeh (Baloot Noghrei) Tappeh Yahya in...

Painted brick from Baba Jan, Luristan, Iron Age III, c. 850 to 550 BCE. National Museum of Iran, inv. no. 6735 This terracotta tile with a painted wheel is one of the c. 200 mural bricks that once decorated the “ceremonial rooms” of the...

An interior view of the Nasir al-Mulk (Nasir-ol-Molk) Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque, in Shiraz (Iran). The mosque was constructed between 1876 CE and 1888 CE, during the Qajar dynasty.

Bronze axe head topped with a man ruling animals, found in Saqqiz, Luristan, from Iron Age II (c. 1100-900 BCE). National Museum of Iran, Tehran. cc. no. 1434, photo by Neda Tehrani (Baloot Noghrei). Following the collapse of civilizations...

Tepe Sialk is an archeological site (a tepe, "hill, tell") near Kashan in central Iran consisting of two hills with six main phases of occupation. The oldest settlements in Sialk date to around 6000–5500 BCE while the ziggurat was constructed...

Sasanian relief depicting the investiture of Bahram I (r. 273-276 CE), the fourth Sasanian King of Kings of Iran, Tang-e Chogan. Bahram I is depicted receiving the royal diadem from the Zoroastrian supreme god Ahura Mazda. Bishapur, Iran.