History of Iran

The Persian Empire, orginally know as Elam, throughout the years had a significant impact on the developement of of Mesopotamia. Although not actually located in the Mesopotamian Valley, but instead located on the other side of the mountains that borders Mesopotamia's northern boundries in what is now called Iran. Beginning as nomads in southwestern Iran and eventually evolving into a nation known as Elam, around 2500BC, whose history of development paralleled that of Sumer and Assyria. Over the years the Elamites battled with the Sumerians, Assyrians and Babylonians for control of the Mesopotamian Valley. On a couple of occasions their conquest of Mesopotamia succeeded, but their rule over Mesopotamia was short lived. Around 1000BC,…

Marjane Satrapi uses images of martyrs cradled in the arms of veiled women throughout the graphic novel to convey not only the importance of martyrdom in the cultural identity of Iran during the war, but also in the broader context of Iranian history and daily life under the new oppressive Muslim government. On page 250 panel 4, Satrapi uses the angle at which the image is viewed, and the size of the panel itself, to give the feeling of importance within that image. The frame of reference in…

During the past week, I created a coat of arms that symbolized who I am as an individual. Every little detail present in this work mirrors a great deal and a more meaningful interpretations in order for me to communicate the right message and feeling to the viewers. The coat of arms is encompassed a perfect circle as a symbol of something that is whole, complete, ideal and eternal. With a shape that has no ending and no beginning, the message is somehow parallel to cyclical ideas and processes.…

Tehran, Iran: From Persia to Present Tehran wondrous, mysterious past gives the capital city a mystic fascination that makes anyone curious about it anxious to visit. From being part of the biblical Persian Empire to the unfortunate hostage siege of the United States Embassy in 1979, Tehran has a history that is as rich as any other capital on earth. The people of Tehran are friendly, polite, and are not representative of the governmental powers of Iran. Its architecture is unique for this city…

To rewrite history is to provide a different version of history that is known or believed. With this in mind, Persepolis is an autobiographical graphic novel about Marjane Satrapi reflecting back on her life during the Islamic revolution in Iran. Throughout the novel, Marjane writes the history again by adding an unique identity to Iran that rejects the government in power and the religion associated with the government. Satrapi often challenges Western perspectives of religion in the East.…

Culture is influenced by many different factors. Iran is no exception. Iran 's culture is affected by history, past conflicts, and religion. Iran, known as Persia until 1935, has a long and rich history (Iran in perspective, 2008). Early rulers of Iran were known as shahs who determined rules and policies. During the Qajar Dynasty, Shahs were seen as shadows of god and guardians of the flock. They exercised extensive authority over life, honor, and property. The Shah was the sole possessor of…

Ervand Abrahamian is one of the leading experts on modern Iran and has written extensively about the history of the country. In his most recent piece of work, The Coup, he covers the nationalization of oil in Iran, and how the poor negotiations among Britain, the United States and Iran led to a coup orchestrated by the CIA and Britain to overthrow the leader of Iran, Mohammad Moseddeq. There have been several books written covering these events, but in The Coup Abrahamian challenges three…

source, my strength. All around, my family is completely Persian, and until my school days, I knew nothing else. Yet I was not cut off society. Children’s shows would talk about countries around the world, but Iran seemed to always be excluded. Thus, my insatiable curiosity for answers began. Whenever my family talked about our heritage, there was always a conflicting description. Often times, the topic would come up at dinner, and a heated debate would occur about the government. Usually, my…

In July of 1988, Khomeini and the Islamic Republic officially accepted UN Resolution 598, a truce agreement between Iran and Iraq that neither named Iraq as the invader nor made either nation pay war compensations. After 8 continuous years, the war outcomes of the war were drastically destructive to both sides, Iraq and Iran. The Iran Iraq war was not only the longest war in the twentieth century; it was the last conventional war in history. Most of the war routine was made of armored and…

Imagine living in Iran in 1970. It was a time of great boom and great bust. There was much wealth to be had from oil production, and at times things were very prosperous. This prosperity was overshadowed though, by the many socio-economic failures of the Shah. His unwise use of power and his greed made Iran a country ripe for revolution. By 1979 the stage was set for Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who because of cunning historical and political maneuverings was able to use politics, religion, and…