The official name of Iran. Islamic Republic of Iran. State structure of Iran

Previously, Iran was called Persia, the country is still called so in many works of art. Iranian culture is often called Persian, Iranian civilization is also called Persian. Persians call the indigenous population of Iran, as well as the people living in the Gulf countries, the people living near the Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and North India.

Officially, the Iranian state is called the Islamic Republic of Iran. The name of the country "Iran" is currently used for modern civilization, now the Persians are called Iranians, this is a people living in the territory between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Iranians have been living in this territory for more than two and a half thousand years.

The Iranians have a direct connection with the peoples who called themselves the Aryans, who also lived in this territory in ancient times, they were the ancestors of the Indo-European peoples of Central Asia. Over the years, there were invasions of the Iranian civilization, and in this regard, the empire underwent some changes.

Due to invasions and wars, the composition of the country's population gradually changed, the state expanded, and the peoples who fell into it spontaneously mixed. Today we are faced with the following picture: as a result of a large number of migrations and wars, peoples of European, Turkic, Arab and Caucasian origin claim the territory and culture of Iran.

Many of these peoples live in the territory of modern Iran. Moreover, the inhabitants of Iran prefer that the country be called Persia, and they are called Persians, in order to indicate their similarity and continuity in relation to the Persian culture. Often the Iranian population wants nothing to do with a modern political state. Many Iranians have emigrated to the United States of America and Europe, but even there they do not want to compare themselves with the modern Islamic Republic of Iran, created in 1979.

Formation of a nation

The Iranian people are one of the oldest civilized peoples in the world. During the Paleolithic and Mesolithic times, the population lived in caves in the Zagros and Elburs mountains. The earliest civilizations in the region lived in the foothills of the Zagros, where they developed agriculture and animal husbandry, and also created the first urban culture in the Tigris-Euphrates basin.

The emergence of Iran is attributed to the middle of the 1st millennium BC, when Cyrus the Great created the Persian Empire, which existed until 333 BC. The Persian Empire was conquered by Alexander the Great. In the sixth century BC, Persia regains its independence, and the Persian kingdom has existed until the seventh century AD.

The country is included in the Medina, and later in the Damascus Caliphate with the arrival of Islam on the territory of Persia. The original religion of the Zoroastrians practically disappears, being completely suppressed by Islam. Up to the present time, the same plot of the unfolding of events is repeated in Iranian history: the conquerors of Iranian territory ultimately themselves become admirers of Iranian culture. In short, they become Persians.

The first of these conquerors was Alexander the Great, who swept through the area and conquered the Achaemenid empire in 330 BC. Alexander died shortly thereafter, leaving his generals and their descendants on this land. The process of dismemberment and conquest of the country ended with the creation of a renewed Persian Empire.

At the beginning of the third century AD, the Sassanids united all territories to the east, including India, and successfully began to cooperate with the Byzantine Empire. The second Great Conquerors were Arab Muslims who came from Saudi Arabia in 640 AD. They gradually merged with the Iranian peoples, and by 750 a revolution had taken place, which pushed the new conquerors to become Persians, but interspersed with elements of their culture. This is how the Baghdad empire was born.

The next conquerors who came with a wave of Turkic peoples to the lands of Iran in the eleventh century. They established courts in the northeastern part of Khorasan and founded several large cities. They became patrons of Persian literature, art and architecture.

The successive Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century took place during a period of relative instability that lasted until the early sixteenth century. Iran regains its independence with the coming to power of the Persian Safavid dynasty. They established Shiism as the state religion. And this period became the heyday of the Iranian civilization. The Safavid capital, Isfahan, was one of the most civilized places on earth, long before most cities in Europe emerged.

The subsequent conquerors were Afghans and Turks, however, the result was the same as that of the previous conquerors. During the conquest of Iran by the Qajar people from 1899 to 1925, Persia came into contact with European civilization in the most serious way. The Industrial Revolution in the West severely shook Iran's economy.

The lack of a modern army with the latest military weapons and vehicles leads to large losses of territory and influence. Iranian rulers made concessions, allowing development for the agricultural and economic institutions of their European competitors. This was necessary in order to attract the funds needed for modernization. Most of the money went directly to the pockets of the rulers.

A few years later, the country again comes to prosperity, thanks to the founding of a new dynasty. In 1906, Iran proclaimed a constitutional monarchy that existed until 1979, until Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was dethroned. In January 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini proclaimed Iran an Islamic Republic.

Ethnic relations of Iran

In Iran, there are basically no interethnic conflicts, especially given the factor that a huge number of different ethnic groups live there. It is safe to conclude that no one in Iran is persecuting or terrorizing ethnic minorities, and even more so there is no open discrimination.

Some groups living in Iran have always sought autonomy. One of the main representatives of such peoples are the Kurds living on the western border of Iran. These people are desperately independent, they constantly put pressure on the Iranian central government to make economic concessions towards them and accept their autonomous decision-making powers.

However, outside of urban areas, the Kurds already exercise formidable control over their regions. Iranian government officials find their bearings in these areas very easy. Kurds in Iran, along with their counterparts in Iraq and Turkey, have long wanted to create an independent state. The immediate prospects for this are rather dim.

The nomadic tribal groups in the southern and western regions of Iran also pose some problems for the central government of the country. These peoples graze their goats and sheep and, as a result, constantly roam for more than half a year, these peoples have always been historically difficult to control.

These peoples, as a rule, are self-sufficient, and some of them are quite wealthy people. Attempts to reconcile relations with these tribes in the past have often met with violent actions. They are currently trying to conclude a fragile peace with the Iranian central government.

The Arab population in the southwestern Gulf province of Khuzestan is showing its desire to break out of Iran. During the conflict between Iran and Iraq, Iraqi leaders supported the separatist movement as a way to counter Iranian officials. The harsh social persecution in Iran has targeted religious periods. Periods of relative calm have alternated with periods of discrimination over the centuries. In accordance with the current law of the Islamic Republic, these minorities were going through a difficult time.

Although in theory they should have come under protection as "People of the Book" under Islamic law, Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians faced accusations of espionage for Western countries or for Israel. Islamic officials also have a vague idea of ​​their tolerance for alcohol consumption, as well as their relative freedom in relation to the female sex.

One group that was widely persecuted dates back to the nineteenth century, but its religion was viewed as a heretical line of Shia Muslims.

Iran is one of the largest Asian states. It shares borders with countries such as Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Armenia. The capital is the city of Tehran. Iran is a country on whose territory the first centers of human civilization were located thousands of years ago. What are the main features of this country?

General information and geographic characteristics of Iran

The main part of the country is located on Here the plateaus are interspersed with high plains. The Elbrus mountain range is located in the northern part of the country. It is separated from the Caspian by a small strip of lowland. The country's climate is continental subtropical. Iranian rivers are usually shallow. The largest lakes are Urmia and Hamun.

The entire area of ​​Iran is divided into 27 districts, or "stoppages". The largest cities are Isfahan, Tabriz, Urmia, Abadan, Mashhad. Iran also includes some islands located in the Persian and Ottoman Gulfs. The total area of ​​Iran is 1.65 million km 2. The state is in 17th place in the world in terms of territory. is an currency unit rial.

Economy

Much of Iran's area is rich in minerals. These are manganese, copper, chromium, zinc ores. Foreign trade products are carpets and nuts, as well as fishing products. Most of the population living in the area of ​​Iran is employed in agriculture. One of the main problems is low soil fertility and lack of fresh water for irrigation. About a third of the total population is unemployed. Mostly these are young people.

Population

More than 60 ethnic groups live in Iran. Most of these are Persians - they live in the southern and central parts of the country. In the north live Gilyans, Mazendrans, Talyshs. In the western territory - Kurds, Lurs, Bakhtiars, in the eastern - Pashtuns, Baluchis, Tajiks. All these peoples are ethnically close to the Persians. It is known that Iran is one of the "youngest" countries in the world. The number of residents under the age of 15 is approximately 25%. The next largest ethnic group is Azerbaijanis. According to various estimates, their number ranges from 20% to 40% of the total population. Why are there so many Azerbaijanis living on both sides of the Iranian border? This is due to the fact that historically the territory of present-day Azerbaijan is part of the Iranian state system. They are part of Iranian society. And in the western part of Iran, Kurds live (from 5% to 10% of the total). The total population is 78.4 million people.

Languages ​​in Iran

What languages ​​are the most common among Iranians? There are many misconceptions on this score. Most Iranians are Persians by ethnicity. Hence, they speak Persian, or Farsi. Persian is the most common among the Iranian group of the Indo-European language tree. It has about 50 million native speakers in Iran (which is more than 80% of the total population).

Farsi is not only the official language in Iran - it is used by Tajikistan and the Pamirs. There are also a few communities using Farsi in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. For writing, Farsi speakers use a slightly modified Arabic alphabet - several letters have been added to it, which are not in Arabic itself. The Persian language contains a large number of borrowed lexical units from Arabic. This language influenced Farsi as a result of the conquests in the 7th century.

From the history of Farsi

Farsi has enough ancient history... The first sources of the Old Persian language date back to the 1st millennium BC. NS. At that time, cuneiform writing was widely used. The most ancient version of Farsi has undergone transformations over 2 thousand years. Around the 1st millennium AD. NS. came the era of the Middle Persian language, which was the official language in the 7th century AD. NS. political transformations took place - the Persian territory was conquered by the Arabs. At this time, the Middle Persian language was used by small Zoroastrian diasporas and the Parsi ethnic group in India.

The next stage is the New Persian language, which included elements from Arabic. Starting from the 9th century, Farsi very quickly acquired the status of the second literary language throughout the Muslim world. At present, Farsi differs significantly from the classical New Persian language. These differences are visible in pronunciation, writing, and vocabulary. The basis for oral speech that meets stylistic and grammatical norms is the Tehran dialect.

Iranian President

The current head of Iran is Hassan Rouhani, who won the elections on May 20, 2017. In total, about 41 million Iranians took part in the elections. 57% of the total number of voters voted for the incumbent president, and 38% voted for his opponent, Ibrahim Raisi. The state structure of Iran is such that the president takes the second place in terms of influence - in the political hierarchy, the head of state is subordinate to the religious leader ("Ayatollah"). The religious leader is elected by a special council. Now it is Ali Khamenei.

An unusual tradition of communication

Tourists who visit Iran for the first time are usually confused. When they want to pay for a taxi, the driver refuses the money. They come to the store - the same thing happens. What is the reason? It turns out that Iran has adopted a cultural practice under the intricate name "taarof". Of course, as in other countries, people do not receive goods or services for free in stores. Taarof practice is a local brand - a manifestation of true Persian courtesy. If someone is invited to visit or to dinner, then the invitee's duty is to play along with the inviter and first refuse. The practice of taarof in Iran is suitable for almost any communication situation.

Famous Persian rugs

There is a saying among the Persians: "The Persian carpet is flawless in its imperfection, accurate in inaccuracy." Where did it come from? In fact, errors and inaccuracies in Persian carpets are deliberate. So the Persians strive to show that only God can create something ideal. Aside from the issues of religion, it is an important element of the culture of Iranians. After all, it is already more than 2 millennia. The ability to weave carpets is especially common in some regions - for example, in the city of Kashan, they are passed down from generation to generation.

The Qur'an describes the process of the creation of the world: the earth was created by Allah in six days. The seven heavenly bodies were the first to appear in the endless emptiness of the Cosmos. And then a beautiful carpet of earth spread out beneath them. Therefore, the carpet in the Eastern tradition is associated with a mini-model of the kingdom of God on earth. The level of well-being in the East is measured by how many carpets a person has in the house, and how expensive they are. If the family, for some reason, could not afford to cover their home with carpets, it evoked compassion. Historians believe that carpets were first invented by ancient Asian nomadic tribes.

Real gold of Iran

It is known that Iran is the largest producer of caviar, one of the most expensive products in the whole the globe... It is from here that the rarest of its species and at the same time the most expensive is supplied. under the name "Almas" costs more than 2 million rubles for just one kilogram. The age of the fish for this caviar ranges from 60 to 100 years.

And that's not all. The Iranian tradition of saffron production goes back about 3 millennia. About 90% of all exports of this spice are produced here. At the same time, saffron is more expensive than many jewelry. Its price is about 4 thousand rubles per gram.

Ancient Iranian beliefs

In the place of modern Iraq and Iran, Mesopotamia was once located. The cities that appeared here in antiquity are called by modern historians the cities of Mesopotamia. They reached the peak of their power during the Sassanid era. The ancient Iranian urban culture was formed under the influence of Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism.

Zoroastrianism is a very ancient monotheistic belief. It is named after a founder named Zarathustra. Inhabitants Ancient Greece considered Zarathustra a philosopher and astrologer. They also renamed the prophet to Zoroaster (from the ancient Greek "aster" - "star"). According to one version, the prophet lived in the II millennium BC. NS. According to the researcher Mary Boyes, Zarathustra lived in the territory east of the Volga.

Manichaeism arose around the 3rd century. n. NS. His prophet was Mani, or Manes, who preached sermons in AD 240. NS. in the capital of the Sassanid empire - Ctesiphon. The Prophet Mani was convinced that all religions of the world are one. The basis of Manichaeism was the confrontation between good and evil.

Iran myths

In fact, Iran has a very high level of public safety. The last hostilities took place here over 30 years ago. This misconception is spread by tourists who tend to confuse Iran and Iraq. Despite the fact that Iran is adjacent to Afghanistan and Iraq, it is absolutely safe to be on its territory. Iranians are a very friendly and welcoming people. Every year more and more tourists from different countries come here to rest.

Iran also has a high level of education and culture, especially among women. More than half of university students are girls. Women also work in offices, can do business, and take part in elections. In Iran, it is customary for women to wear headscarves, but they do not wear a veil covering their face. Among the fair half, there are many fashionistas who love bright clothes.

Iran is in third place in the world in terms of the number of UNESCO cultural monuments, second only to Italy and Egypt. The history of Ancient Persia, inherited by modern Iran, is more than 5 thousand years old. Earlier among the Iranians there was a saying: "Whoever visited Isfahan saw half of the world."

Basic moments

Iran occupies most of the Iranian Highlands, which is an alternation of high plains, mountain ranges and intermontane basins. Low-lying plains adjoin the shores of the Caspian Sea, Persian and Oman gulfs. In most of the country, the climate is continental, on the Caspian coast - subtropical, on the coast of the Oman and Persian Gulfs - tropical, with negligible rainfall and high "greenhouse" humidity. In the Iranian Highlands, the amount of precipitation does not exceed 100-200 mm per year; in some desert interior regions, precipitation does not occur for several years in a row. Natural conditions make it possible to cultivate a wide variety of crops - rice, tea, date and banana palms, pistachios, citrus fruits. The basis economic development the country is served by oil and gas resources and a growing mining industry.

Iran, along with Afghanistan, is one of the most multinational states in Southwest Asia. More than 60 peoples, ethnic groups and tribes live here, belonging mainly to the Iranian group of the Indo-European language family (75%) and to the Turkic group of the Altai language family (over 20%). The main ethnic community - the Persians - make up the majority of the urban population, and also occupy the main settlement area in the central and southern parts of the country. To the north live ethnically close to them Gilanians, Masenderans, Talysh, to the west - Kurds, Lurs, Bakhtiars, to the east - Afghans, Baluchis, Tajiks. The second largest ethnic community - Azerbaijanis - inhabits the northwestern part of the country.

The capital of Iran, Tehran, located on a vast foothill plain at the foot of the extinct volcano Elburz, is a major transport hub, industrial and cultural center. Of the architectural sights of the capital, the Golestan Palace, the Sepakh-salar mosque, the buildings of the Mejlis and the Senate deserve attention. Other large cities of the country: Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, Urmia, Abadan, Khorramabad, Kerman, Mashhad.

Geography

Iran is located in southwestern Asia at the junction of the Near and Middle East. From the north it is washed by the Caspian Sea, from the south - by the Persian and Oman Gulfs. Iran borders on land with seven states: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey; and also shares the Caspian Sea with Russia and Kazakhstan, the Persian Gulf with Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf of Oman with Oman.

By the area of ​​the territory (1,648,000 km ²) Iran ranks 17th in the world. Iran would accommodate five countries such as Germany. At the same time, the area of ​​Iran is half the area of ​​Yakutia. Almost the entire territory of the country, with the exception of the low-lying Gilan, Mazandaran, Golestan in the north and Khuzestan in the south-west, is located at an altitude of at least 900 m above sea level. The Zagros mountain range stretches from northwest to southeast.

Due to the arid climate and mountainous terrain, Iran does not have sufficient water resources. There is only one navigable river in the country - Karun. The largest lake is Urmia, located in the northwest of Iran. However, Iran is rich in minerals, especially hydrocarbons. Iran has the third largest oil reserves in the world, the second - natural gas, as well as large reserves of coal, iron ore, manganese and zinc.

Most of Iran's territory is covered with mountains. The main mountain system, the Zagros, stretches for 1,500 km from northwest to southeast. A considerable number of Zagros peaks exceed 3000 m in height, and in the highest mountainous region (Fars) - 4000 meters. Another major mountain range, Elburz, runs along the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea. The highest point of Iran, the extinct volcano Demavend (5610 m above sea level), is located in Elburs.

The area between Zagros and Elburs is occupied by the Central Plateau, where the average altitude above sea level is 900 m. The eastern part of the plateau is covered by two large saline deserts: Deshte-Kevir and Deshte-Lut. With the exception of a few oases, this area is uninhabited.

Iran has only two vast lowlands: the Khuzestan plain in the southwest, and the Caspian coastal lowland in the north. The first is a continuation of the Mesopotamian plain and goes deep into the Iranian territory for 120-160 km, where it is interrupted by the Zagros chain. The height throughout the plain does not exceed 3-5 meters above sea level. The Caspian lowland stretches along the sea coast for 640 km, while its width does not exceed 40 km. In some places, the coastline is 2 km away from the foot of Elburg. Along most of the coast of the Persian and Oman Gulfs, there are no plains as such, since the Zagros reaches directly to the coastline.

There are no large rivers in Iran, and only one navigable - Karun. Karun originates in Zagros (Chaharmahal and Bakhtiariya) and flows mainly through the territory of Khuzestan in the south-west of the country. River transport is used mainly in the 180 km downstream section between the cities of Ahvaz and Khorramshahr, where the Karun flows into the Arvandrud (Shatt al-Arab). The total length of the river is 950 km. Other significant rivers are Karhe, Dez and Zayande. There are a large number of small short rivers in the north of Iran, especially in Mazandaran. All of them drain from Elburz and flow into the Caspian (Khazar) Sea. Rivers in central Iran are deep only during a short period of snowmelt in the mountains, but they dry up most of the year.

One of the few reservoirs that never dry up is the Urmia salt lake in South Azerbaijan. However, the salt content there is so high that it does not support life in the lake. Other lakes: Bakhtagan, Gavkhuni, Neyriz, Parishan, Neor, Save. A group of small salt lakes is located in the east of Iran - in Sistan and Baluchistan, near the borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan. There are a few freshwater lakes in Elburz, north of Tehran.

Climate

Iran has an arid climate. Along the coast of the Caspian Sea - subtropical. In the north of the country, in winter, the temperature often drops below 0 °, in July it occasionally reaches 30 °. Average annual rainfall is 1,700 mm in the humid western regions and 680 mm in the arid eastern regions. In summer, the temperature in deserts can exceed 40 °. In the west of Iran, in the Zagros mountains in winter, the temperature is almost always below 0 °, abundant snowfalls and strong winds are characteristic. The coast of the Persian and Oman Gulfs is located in a zone of hot and humid tropical climate, the temperature ranges from + 16-18 ° С in winter to + 24-30 ° С in summer, with relatively a large number precipitation (up to 1000 mm on mountain slopes, up to 600 mm on flat areas).

Population

After the Islamic Revolution, the country is experiencing a constant population explosion. The population has doubled since 1979 and reached 70 million in 2006. However, in the 90s, the birth rate dropped markedly. According to forecasts, by 2050 the population of Iran will reach 90 million. More than a third of the population has not reached the age of 30. The literacy rate is 79%. Urbanization - 67%. The fertility rate is 1.87 (2.15 is needed for the reproduction of generations). The number of Iranians abroad exceeds 4 million. Most of them emigrated to Australia, North America and Europe after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In addition, Iran itself is home to over a million refugees, mainly from Afghanistan and Waziristan.

The Iranian Constitution guarantees every citizen, regardless of nationality and religion, social protection: pension, unemployment benefits, disability benefits, health insurance. Education and medical services are free. Average annual income per capita - US $ 2,700 (2006). About 40% of the population lives below the poverty line.

Iran is a multinational state. Persians make up the majority of the country's population. 70% of the population belongs to the Iranian peoples - the ancestors of the Indo-European group of languages, descended from the Aryan tribes who migrated to Iran from Central Asia. The majority of the population, in addition to the official language (Farsi), speaks at least one of the Iranian languages. Persians and Iranian peoples make up 64% of the population, Azerbaijanis - 21%, Kurds - 9%, Arabs - 2%, Baluchis and Turkmens - 2% each. In addition, there are ethnic minorities of Armenians, Assyrians, Georgians and Pashtuns.

Most Iranians are Muslims. 90% of the population are Shiites (the state religion). Along with Iraq and Bahrain, Iran is one of the states where Shiites make up more than half of the population. There are two Shiite holy cities in Iran: Mashhad (Mausoleum of Imam Reza) and Qum. Qom is the most important religious center of Islam with many Islamic seminaries and universities.

Sunnis make up about 8% of the population. Other 2% are Bahá'ís, Mandeans, Hindus, Yezidis, Zoroastrians, Jews and Christians. The last three are officially recognized and protected by the constitution. Seats in the Mejlis are reserved for representatives of these religions, while even the Sunnis do not have such a privilege. At the same time, Bahá'ís (the largest religious minority) face persecution. The political system of Iran, based on religion, implies the truncation of some rights and freedoms. In particular, there is gender inequality (although this is not as pronounced as in most other Muslim countries). Homosexuality is a criminal offense and in most cases is punishable by death.

Iranian state energy company Pars Special Economic Energy Zone announced in June 2008 that all unmarried and unmarried employees are required to get married by the end of September. Failure to comply with the decision of the leadership is punishable by dismissal. Iran's economic problems have led to a demographic crisis - many Iranians are in no hurry to start a family. Civil servants loyal to government policy seek to change the existing order of things. For example, the governor of one of the provinces of Iran announced that only family people will be hired in government agencies.

Economy

Iran is the largest economy in the Middle East, second only to China, Japan, India and South Korea in terms of GDP in Asia.

Iran is an agro-industrial country with a developed oil industry... There are oil refineries and petrochemical enterprises. Extraction of oil, coal, gas, copper, iron, manganese and lead-zinc ores. Machine building and metalworking, as well as food and textile industries are widely represented. The handicraft production of carpets and hardware is developed. Among the most important crops: wheat, barley, rice, legumes, cotton, sugar beets, sugar cane, tobacco, tea, nuts, pistachios. Livestock raising is based on breeding sheep, goats, camels and cattle. 7.5 million hectares of land are irrigated.

45% of budget revenues come from oil and gas exports, 31% - from taxes and fees. In 2007, the GDP was $ 852 billion. GDP growth amounted to 5%, in 2008 growth is projected at 7%. Inflation is 15.8%.

The main export items are crude oil and petroleum products, metal ores, agricultural products. The main imports are heavy machine building and chemical products, automobiles, iron, steel, minerals, textiles, and paper.

Iran's main trading partners include China, Japan, Germany, Russia, France, Italy and Turkey. Iran is a key member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation, which includes the countries of Southwest Asia and the Central Asian republics of the former USSR. Iran is actively developing economic ties with the countries of the region and aims to create a free trade zone similar to the EU. Free trade and industrial zones are developing in Chabahar and on the island of Kish.

The culture

Religiousness is a special cultural trait in Iran as it permeates all aspects of life. Islam is a belief in one God, and people are obliged to serve him in accordance with the Koran. In Arabic, "Islam" means obedience, and "Muslim" means one who obeys the will of God. The most notable manifestations of Shiism in Iran are modest dress and mosque visits. The state language of Iran is Farsi, Persian from the Indo-European group. In addition, several regional languages ​​are spoken here, such as: Azar, Kurdish, Arabic, and Lori (spoken by the Lore); and in many languages ​​of the 26 provinces of Iran: Gilaki, Baluchi, Turkmen, etc. After the adoption of Islam, the Arabic alphabet entered the Persian language. But there is no standard way to transliterate Farsi to English.

Most Iranian art forms originated before the Arab conquest and reached their peak during the Islamic era, although art is rarely without religious influence. Persian rugs - an integral part of culture of Iran and the birth of this art form falls on the fifth century BC. The most melodic music in Iran is the music of national minorities: Turkmens, Azars, Kurds and Lors. Persian poetry originated in the 9th century AD. and slowly evolved from epic poems to non-rhymed couplets that make up the bulk of Iran's poetic treasury. Persian painting developed during the Seljuk dynasty, but was practically forgotten until the 16th century, and then transformed into calligraphy. In addition, the Persians produced metal products, glass, wood products. Great films are being made in Iran right now. Mohsen Makhmalbaf is the author of the film Gabbeh the most criticized and respected Iranian director.

Iranian cuisine is one of the most delicious in the world. The main ingredients are rice, bread, fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. Meat, usually lamb or mutton, is cut into small pieces and cooked with a little fat, but it rarely dominates the table. But unfortunately, travelers rarely get to taste the true Iranian cuisine, as in most local restaurants, you will be offered two or three types of kebabs or rice with vegetables. So for true gourmets, it is better to try to visit the locals or visit a restaurant in the hotel. high level... Tea is the national drink of Iran; here it is drunk strong and hot. But everywhere in Iran you can buy all kinds of fruit juices, milkshakes and yoghurts. Alcohol in Iran is banned by religion, although it is allowed to drink for religious purposes, in mosques and non-Muslims with special permission.

History

The first people who founded settlements on the Iranian plateau were, apparently, the Elamites. They founded the city of Shush in the southwest. The Aryans came here in the second millennium BC and brought their culture and crafts with them. Persian history dates back to the 6th century BC, when the region was ruled by King Cyrus the Great from the Achaemenite dynasty. The Achaemenite dynasty founded the first Persian Empire, which was the prototype of modern Iran.

In the 4th century BC. Alexander the Great conquered Persia after his victories over Greece, Egypt, Turkey and Iraq. Despite the three peace proposals of Darius III, Alexander captured Shush. From here he sent his armies eastward across the mountains and captured Persepolis. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, his empire was divided into three parts ruled by three dynasties. The Seleusids became the rulers of Persia. But they found it difficult to control numerous ethnic groups, in particular the tribe of the Parthian nomads, who occupied most of Persia and held out here until the 3rd century AD. The Sassanites came from the central regions of Persia, which were not under the control of the Parthians. They brought Zoroastrianism with them and began to develop cities and trade, but were eventually driven out by the Arabs who came here in 637 CE.

The Arabs held out here until 1050. They converted the local population to Islam, introduced a new Persian alphabet and introduced Islamic culture. The Arabs were driven out by the Turks, who took Isfahan in 1051. Despite numerous uprisings, the Turks retained their dominance in the region until the 13th century, when the hordes of Genghis Khan came here. At the end of the 14th century, the power of the Mongols weakened, and the Timurid dynasty reigned in Iran, but it was pressured by the tribes of the Turkmen, Ottoman Turks and European Portuguese colonists.

Under the rule of the Safavid dynasty (1502-1722), Iran was part of the vast Persian Empire. The great Shah Abbas I and his successors preserved Shi'ism and re-established Isfahan, but this dynasty fell in the early 18th century after the Afghan invasion. The Afghans could not hold on to power for a long time, and for some time Iran was ruled by successively weak kings. In 1779, Aga Muhammad Khan united the Turkish Gajars, entered Iran and moved the capital to Tehran. The Gaillard rulers ruled peacefully in Iran until 1921, and they managed to maintain neutrality during the First World War, but did not manage to avoid the partial occupation of Iran by British forces seeking to establish control over the oil.

One of the last Gayar rulers put forward the idea of ​​elections and a legislative assembly (Majlis), but the idea was only implemented by the Persian Khan Reza, who became the first prime minister in 1923. He was faced with the task of pulling the country out of the abyss of the Middle Ages. Iran (the name was officially adopted in 1934) remained neutral during World War II, but the British and Russians established spheres of influence here to keep Germany out. In 1941, Reza was exiled to South Africa and his son Muhammad Reza followed him. After the war, the Americans insisted on the withdrawal of the Russians from the region, and the young Mohammed Reza, who received absolute power, began to establish contacts with the West.

Over the next 30 years, they became a confrontation between the government of Reza, who received the title of Shah, and his regime of repression and modernization. The economic situation in the country changed from bad to worse due to mismanagement of oil, and the opposition met these changes with sabotage and massive demonstrations. The Shah responded with desperate armed attempts to suppress the insurgency with the support of the Americans, but in the end, the Shah still left the country on January 16, 1979. And a few weeks later, renowned leader Ayatollah Khomeini, the head of the opposition, returned from exile and was greeted by millions. Nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism of the Ayatollah led to the creation of the Islamic Republic and the United States lost its influence here.

Some time later, the Ayatollah was proclaimed the Imam (leader), and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein made an adventurous attempt to seize Khuzestan, a region of Iran. It was an ill-considered move that dragged both countries into a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people on both sides. Peace negotiations began only in 1988. Western countries and the USSR supported Iraq, choosing the lesser of two evils, but at the same time supplying Iran with weapons, albeit at inflated prices.

On June 4, 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini died, leaving open the question of a successor. Two months later, Hoijat-ol-Eslam Rafsanjani became president-elect, and former President Ayatollah Ali Khomeini became the country's Supreme Spiritual Leader. The United States imposed a trade embargo on Iran, explaining this by the fact that Iran supports Islamic terrorist groups, destabilizing the situation in the Middle East. After the 1997 election of a moderate Iranian president, Khojat-ol-Eslam Seyed Mohammad Khatami, many hoped that relations with most of the world's countries would improve. But Iran's relations with Germany (and most European countries) deteriorated sharply in 1997 after the Iranian government was proven complicit in the killing of Iranian Kurdish émigrés in Germany a few years earlier.

The election of Khatami allowed women and young people to hope that the strictest rules of Islam would be relaxed somewhat. There is now a national dialogue in the country about easing government restrictions between the liberalists of Khatami and the fundamentalists of Khomeini, but so far it has only led to increased censorship and greater discrimination.