SOME FACTS ABOUT PARSIA / IRAN

 

SOME FACTS ABOUT 'PERSIA' / IRAN

ALSO KNOWN AS 'PARASYA'

SARASIJ MAJUMDER

 

IRAN is today on the NEWS for all wrong reasons. Let us look at the some of the ancient GLORIES of the place. It is a nice place to visit—only problem is, if you ever visit IRAN, you may not get VISA for many countries including USA. I off course visited in early nineties, and enjoyed my stay.

1. Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, Susa. and part of the site is still inhabited as Shush, Khuzestan Province, Iran. Excavations have uncovered evidence of continual habitation dating back to 4395 BCE but that early community grew from an even older one dating back to c. 7000 BCE.

2. The world's highest number of  face & nose jobs per capita is recorded in Iran, making cosmetic surgery surprisingly common.

3. Iran boasts the world's oldest monotheistic religions, Zoroastrianism, which dates back 4,000 years and influenced the development of  all other monotheistic religions.

4. The city of Tabriz in Iran was the capital of the Mongol Ilkhanate in the 13th century and served as a major hub on the Silk Route. The place  is always cold, and close to Russia. I visited TABRIZ.

5. Iran is one of the few countries in the world where hand-chopping is still used as a form of punishment for certain crimes.

6. Tehran, Iran's capital, is the second-largest city in Western Asia, after Istanbul.

7. Iranian cuisine is incredibly diverse, and very tasty,  with each region boasting its own distinct culinary traditions, such as the spice and aromatic cuisines of Gilan in the north.

8. Iran has one of the world's largest populations of Persian leopards, which are endangered and mainly inhabit the Alborz and Zagros Mountains. There are an estimated about 700 Persian leopards in Iran, which is more than two-thirds of the global population of this endangered species.

9. Iran is home to one of the world's oldest universities, there is an university in QOM, stated to be founded in 859 AD.

10. Despite its largely desert climate, Iran is home to over 7,000 plant species, many of which are endemic to the region.

11. Iran has a rich tradition of poetry, with poets like Hafez and Rumi being celebrated worldwide for their profound and lyrical verses.

12. The ancient city of Yazd in central Iran is known for its unique wind towers, which have been used for centuries to provide natural ventilation in buildings.

13. Iran is one of the few countries in the world where women outnumber men in higher education, with more women enrolled in universities than men.

14. The traditional Persian New Year, Nowruz, is celebrated on the spring equinox and has been observed for over 3,000 years.

15. Iran has the highest number of female students studying engineering and science at the undergraduate level compared to any other country in the world.

16. The Iranian city of Isfahan was once one of the largest cities in the world and served as the capital of the Persian Empire under the Safavid dynasty.

17. Iran is home to one of the world's oldest bazaars, the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, which dates back over 200 years and spans over 10 kilometres of labyrinthine alleys and bustling market stalls.

18.Polo: Iran has played polo since the 6th century B.C. 

19. Persian cat: The Persian cat originated in Iran's high plateaus.

20. The term “assassin” comes from the Hashishin who operated in Iran in the 11th and 12th centuries. This group of killers, who resided in the mountains in Iran, targeted specific enemies rather than going to war. 

 

Source:-- History Book/ Public Domain.

Image:- King ‘Darius’s Palace at Susa. Source: Google.