Persia | Definition, Location, Map, & Facts (2024)

Persia, historic region of southwestern Asia associated with the area that is now modern Iran. The term Persia was used for centuries and originated from a region of southern Iran formerly known as Persis, alternatively as Pārs or Parsa, modern Fārs. The use of the name was gradually extended by the ancient Greeks and other peoples to apply to the whole Iranian plateau. The people of that region have traditionally called their country Iran, “Land of the Aryans.” That name was officially adopted in 1935.

For the history of the region prior to the 7th century ce, see Iran, ancient. For the history of succeeding periods and a study of the current geography, see Iran. For a discussion of the religions of ancient Iran, see Iranian religion. For a discussion of visual arts from the prehistoric period through the Sasanian period, see art and architecture, Iranian. For a detailed account of Mesopotamian history through the Sasanian period, see Mesopotamia, history of.

Persia | Definition, Location, Map, & Facts (2)

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Michele Metych.

Persia | Definition, Location, Map, & Facts (2024)

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Persia | Definition, Location, Map, & Facts? ›

Persia

Persia
The history of Iran (or Persia, as it was commonly known in the Western world) is intertwined with that of Greater Iran, a sociocultural region spanning the area between Anatolia in the west and the Indus River and Syr Darya in the east, and between the Caucasus and Eurasian Steppe in the north and the Persian Gulf and ...
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › History_of_Iran
, historic region of southwestern Asia associated with the area that is now modern Iran. The term Persia was used for centuries and originated from a region of southern Iran formerly known as Persis, alternatively as Pārs or Parsa, modern Fārs.

Where was Persia originally located? ›

The Persian Empire is the name given to a series of dynasties centered in modern-day Iran that spanned several centuries—from the sixth century B.C. to the 20th century A.D. The first Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great around 550 B.C., became one of the largest empires in history, stretching from Europe's ...

What are three facts about Persia? ›

Key Facts & Information
  • Most of the history of Persia was inscribed by the Greeks.
  • It is the Western people, particularly Greeks who used the name Persia, as Persis or Pars. In the modern times, “Fars” is where the first real Persian empire, Achaemenid Empire, emerged. ...
  • They also called themselves Aryans.
Nov 6, 2019

What is Persia most famous for? ›

The Persians are known for their intricately inlaid metalwork as well as for their legacy of extraordinary architecture. Finely decorated pre-Islamic structures still stand in several ancient cities, as do spectacular mosques and shrines from the Muslim era.

Which country is Persia today? ›

More Information ... 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.

Why is it no longer called Persia? ›

When Reza Shah became the new king, the name was changed to Iran in an effort to signify a new beginning. Iran made its allegiance clear to the world by changing Persia's name to Iran or Arya, which means Land of the Aryans. Persia or Iran had been greatly impacted by the Soviet Union and Great Britain before 1935.

Where is Persia in the Bible? ›

Persia is the piece of land known today as Iran. Iran was known as Persia until 1935. Satan raised up a prince of Persia in 550 B.C. to stop the move of God and burden the people of God just as he is doing today.

What religion was Persia? ›

By 650 BCE, the Zoroastrian faith, a monotheistic religion founded on the ideas of the philosopher Zoroaster, had become the official religion of ancient Persia.

How did Persia get so rich? ›

The Persian Empire obtained much of its wealth as a result of its prolific crops. Even some of the most urban cities in the empire relied on agriculture.

What did Muslims do to Persia? ›

As part of the early Muslim conquests, which had begun under Muhammad in 622, it led to the fall of the Sasanian Empire and the eventual decline of Zoroastrianism, which had been predominant throughout Persia as the nation's official religion.

Why do Iranians call themselves Persian? ›

According to Hooman Majd, the popularity of the term Persia among the Iranian diaspora stems from the fact that "'Persia' connotes a glorious past they would like to be identified with, while 'Iran' since 1979 revolution… says nothing to the world but Islamic fundamentalism."

How are Persians different from Arabs? ›

The origin of Arabs can be traced back to people from the Syrian Desert and Arabian Peninsula. Persians on the other hand have Indo-European origins. It is impossible to trace back a vast ethnicity to one single origin.

What are modern day Persians called? ›

The Persians (/ˈpɜːrʒənz/ PUR-zhənz or /ˈpɜːrʃənz/ PUR-shənz) are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran.

What is traditional Persian food? ›

Major staples of Iranian food that are usually eaten with every meal include rice, various herbs, cheese, a variety of flat breads, and some type of meat (usually poultry, beef, lamb, or fish). Stew over rice is by far the most popular dish, and the constitution of these vary by region.

What was the most disgraceful thing a person could do in Persian society? ›

The Persian culture held the truth in high esteem. Telling a lie was one of the most disgraceful things a person could do.

Where do Persian people come from? ›

Persians live in Iran to the Indus River of Pakistan and to Turkey in the west. Arabs trace their ancestry to the original inhabitants of tribes of Arabia from the Syrian Desert and Arabian Peninsula; Persians are a part of the Iranian inhabitants. Arabs speak Arabic; Persians speak Iranian languages and dialects.

What do Persians speak? ›

Is Persia in the Bible? ›

As stated above, the earliest chronological mention of the Persian people is in the book of Ezekiel (27:10 and 38:5)—probably written shortly after 600 b.c.e. There is, however, an earlier, incredible prophecy of the man who would become Persia's leader, Cyrus the Great.

What religion does Iran follow? ›

A 2020 survey by the World Values Survey found that 96.6% of Iranians believe in Islam. According to the CIA World Factbook, around 90–95% of Iranian Muslims associate themselves with the Shia branch of Islam, the official state religion, and about 5–10% with the Sunni and Sufi branches of Islam.

What is the race of the people in Iran? ›

The largest groups in this category include Persians (who form the majority of the Iranian population) and Kurds, with smaller communities including Gilakis, Mazandaranis, Lurs, Tats, Talysh, and Baloch. Turkic peoples constitute a substantial minority of about 15–24%, the largest group being the Azerbaijani.

What was Turkey called in the Bible? ›

The ruins of the city of Harran, called Haran (Hebrew: חָרָן, Ḥārān) in the Hebrew Bible, might lie within present-day Turkey. Haran first appears in the Book of Genesis as the home of Terah and his descendants, and as Abraham's temporary home.

What was Israel called in biblical times? ›

Israel refers to both a people within Canaan and later to the political entity formed by those people. To the authors of the Bible, Canaan is the land which the tribes of Israel conquered after an Exodus from Egypt and the Canaanites are the people they disposed from this land.

Who are the Persians descended from? ›

The ancient Persians were an Indo-Iranian people who migrated to the Iranian plateau during the end of the second millennium B.C., possibly from the Caucasus or Central Asia. Originally a pastoral people who roamed the steppes with their livestock, they were ethnically related to the Bactrians, Medes and Parthians.

What was Iran called before Persia? ›

The exonym Persia was the official name of Iran in the Western world before March 1935, but the Iranian peoples inside their country since the time of Zoroaster (probably circa 1000 BC), or even before, have called their country Arya, Iran, Iranshahr, Iranzamin (Land of Iran), Aryānām (the equivalent of Iran in the ...

What nationality is Persian? ›

Persians live in Iran to the Indus River of Pakistan and to Turkey in the west. Arabs trace their ancestry to the original inhabitants of tribes of Arabia from the Syrian Desert and Arabian Peninsula; Persians are a part of the Iranian inhabitants. Arabs speak Arabic; Persians speak Iranian languages and dialects.

What was Persia before Cyrus the Great? ›

Prior to Cyrus's rule, Persia was a small tributary state to the Median Empire, which happened to be ruled by Cyrus's grandfather, Astyages. Persia paid the Medes for protection and to maintain a level of independence.

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