The culture of Iran is a mix of ancient pre-Islamic and Islamic cultures one and is one of the most influential cultures in the middle east, central Asia and the whole world.
Iran is considered as one of the cradles of civilization, and due to its dominant geo-political position and rich history in the world, has had a significant impact on the world through art, architecture, poetry, science and has heavily influenced cultures and peoples as far away as Italy, Macedonia, and Greece to the West, Russia and Eastern Europe to the North, the Arabian Peninsula to the South, and the Indian subcontinent and East Asia to the East.
Iranian culture has passed through the centuries of experience of knowledge, wisdom, traditions and customs. The people of Iran have been the builders and protectors of their culture throughout the history of their homeland, which has one of the oldest and longest lasting civilizations.
Many nations of the world have presented or imposed their own culture on the inhabitants of other lands by invading them, but history shows that those who invaded Iran, such as – the Greeks and the Mongols -were influenced by Iranian culture.
The Sassanid and Achemenid Era were very important and influential historical periods in Iran as Iranian culture influenced China, India and Roman civilization considerably, and so influenced as far as Western Europe and Africa. This influence played a prominent role in the formation of both Asiatic and European medieval art. This influence carried forward to the Islamic world. Much of what later became known as Islamic learning, such as philology, literature, jurisprudence, philosophy, medicine, architecture and the sciences were based on some of the practices taken from the Sassanid Persians to the broader Muslim world.
After entrance of Islam in Iran Islamic rituals have penetrated in the Iranian culture. The most noticeable one of them is commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali. Every year in Day of Ashura during Muharram month most of Iranians, participate in mourning for the martyrs of Karbala battle. Daily life in modern Iran is closely interwoven with Shia Islam and the country’s art, literature, and architecture are an ever-present reminder of its deep national tradition and of a broader literary culture.
The Iranian New Year Nowruz is one of the oldest Iranian traditions celebrated on 21 March each year to mark the beginning of spring in Iran. It is also celebrated in Afghanistan, Republic of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and previously also in Georgia and Armenia. this event is also celebrated by the Iraqi and Anatolian Kurds. Nowruz was registered on the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity and described as the Persian New Year by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2009.
Persian Poetry
Classical Persian poetry is always rhymed. The principal verse forms are the Qasideh, Masnavi, Qazal and Ruba’i. The Qasida or ode is a long poem in monorhyme, usually of a panegyric, didactic or religious nature; the masnavi, written in rhyming couplets, is employed for heroic, romantic, or narrative verse; the ghazal (ode or lyric) is […]
Nowruz Celebration in Iran
Starting on March 21st, Nowruz also spelled Nowrouz celebration is one of the most ancient Iranian celebrations and is said to be the moment the sun passes through the Earth’s equator and heads north to the sky; this moment called Vernal Equinox is the first day in the solar calendar. Nowruz is officially celebrated in 9 countries of Iran, Afghanistan, […]
Bastani sport
Varzesh-e Pahlavani, known as Varzesh-e Bastani, was originally an academy of physical training and a nursery for warriors against foreign invaders similar in purpose to martial arts. Throughout the last 3000 years it acquired different components of moral, philosophical, and mystical values of the Iranian civilization. As a result, Varzesh-e-Pahlavani incorporated the richness of Sufism, […]
Persian Cuisine
Persian Cuisine or Iranian Food is one of the world’s finest. The foundation of most Persian dishes is rice, meat, and salad, often served with a side of fresh herbs, cheese and yogurt. While traveling to Iran, you will be welcomed by a wide range of delicious delights including some of the most popular Iranian […]
Iran Ethnic Groups
Ethnic diversity and miscegenation in Iran has begun since the arrival of the Aryans, Babylonians, Sumerians, and has continued until today. Although the main ethnic Iranians are Aryans, over the years as a result of political developments and invasions of other nations, Iran always witnessed a huge miscegenation. For example, we can refer to Alexander […]
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