Iran, also known as Persia and officially as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country located in Western Asia.
By referring to themselves as 'Persian,' they sometimes express the desire to look at the segment of history – the ancient empires, for instance – that makes them proud. Why is it, for example, that they identify more readily with Cyrus the Great than with figures in contemporary culture?
“Iranian” and “Persian” are often used interchangeably. If you have friends from Iran, I'm sure some of them say they're “Iranian” while others say they're “Persian.” On My Persian Corner, you'll notice I always use the term “Iranian.” Why?
"Persia" was the official name of Iran in the Western world prior to 1935 when the country and vast surrounding lands were known as Persia (derived from the ancient kingdom of Parsa and the Persian empire). However, Persian people within their country have long called it Iran (often spelled Eran).
On the day of the Persian New Year, March 21 1935, Reza Shah Pahlavi, requested foreign delegates to use the term Iran, instead of Persia, in a conscious reference to the ancient ancestry of the Iranians.
Iran, also known as Persia and officially as the Islamic Republic of Iran, is a country located in Western Asia.
In 1935 the Iranian government requested those countries which it had diplomatic relations with, to call Persia "Iran," which is the name of the country in Persian. The suggestion for the change is said to have come from the Iranian ambassador to Germany, who came under the influence of the Nazis.
Since the Ottoman–Persian Wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, Iran (known as "Persia" prior to 1935) and the Ottomans fought over Iraq (then known as Mesopotamia) and full control of the Shatt al-Arab until the signing of the Treaty of Zuhab in 1639 which established the final borders between the two countries.
According to the book 'Documents on the Persian Gulf's name' the Arabs likewise referred to Iran and the Persian (Sassanian) Empire as Bilād Fāris (Arabic: بلاد فارس), which means "Lands of Persia", and using Bilād Ajam (Arabic: بلاد عجم) as an equivalent or synonym to Persia.
With the exception of various minority ethnic groups in Iran (one of which is Arab), Iranians are Persian.
Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BC.
The vast majority of Iranians are Muslims of the Ithnā ʿAsharī, or Twelver, Shiʿi branch, which is the official state religion. The Kurds and Turkmen are predominantly Sunni Muslims, but Iran's Arabs are both Sunni and Shiʿi.
As the region of Iran was once called Persia, 'Iranian' is often assumed to be synonymous with 'Persian'. The two can usually be used interchangeably. However, “Persian” specifically refers to the particular Persian ethnicity or Farsi language within Iran.
Some believe why Iranians so beautiful is because of their big, captivating, and usually dark eyes. The typical appearance of an Iranian includes thick black/brown hair that may be straight, wavy, or curly, pale to the tan body with olive tints, and, of course, huge, generally dark eyes.
Adultery and sex outside out of marriage are illegal under Iranian law and carry the death penalty. Relationships between non-Muslim men and Muslim women are illegal, although few Westerners have been prosecuted. If a Muslim woman is found in a relationship with a non-Muslim man, she may be sentenced to be whipped.
The term Aryan has long been used to denote the Indo-Iranians, because Arya is indeed the self-designation of the ancient speakers of the Indo-Iranian languages, specifically the Iranian and the Indo-Aryan peoples, collectively known as the Indo-Iranians.
It is now widely believed that the annexation of the Lakhmid kingdom was one of the main factors behind the fall of the Sasanian Empire and the subsequent Islamic conquest of Persia, as the Lakhmids agreed to act as spies for the Muslims after being defeated in the Battle of Hira by Khalid ibn al-Walid.
In 1935, the Persian government changed the name of the country from “Persia” to “Iran,” the historical name of the country and a designation in common internal use for centuries. The new designation at the same time distracted attention from the traditional Western designation “Persia” (a term Greek in origin).
Etymology of "Persia"
The Pars tribe gave its name to the region where they lived (the modern day province is called Fars/Pars), but the province in ancient times was smaller than its current area. In Latin, the name for the whole empire was Persia, while the Iranians knew it as Iran or Iranshahr.
Persia is mentioned by name in the Bible 29 times. Persia changed its name to Iran in March of 1935. Whenever you read about Persia in the Scriptures, you are reading about the land of modern-day Iran. One of the Bible's most fascinating prophecies involves Persia, King Cyrus of Persia, to be exact.
For most of history, the tract of land now called Iran was known as Persia. It wasn't until 1935 that it adopted its present name.
At its height, it encompassed the areas of modern-day Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Persian Empire emerged under the leadership of Cyrus II, who conquered the neighboring Median Empire ruled by his grandfather. From then on Cyrus was called the “shah,” or king, of Persia.
Persia is today the country of Iran. By the 5th century B.C.E., it was the largest empire the world had ever seen, surpassing the size of their Assyrian predecessors.
Like how Rome called them Persia, even though they called themselves Iran.
Politeness and etiquette are demonstrated on a daily basis in Iran. It is often exhibited through the traditional verbal and nonverbal system of politeness – 'taarof'. Under taarof, Iranians strive to make the other person in the interaction feel as appreciated and welcomed as possible.