Iran is one of the world’s most interesting nations today. This culturally and historically-rich country has, since the 1970s, mostly closed itself off to the Western world, and the day-to-day lives of its citizens, along with their culture, cuisine and customs, have become shrouded in mystery and intrigue.
We’ve gathered facts, stories and practices from this ancient land, and selected the most interesting ones for you to read about here. Once you’re done, we guarantee you’ll never see Iran in the same light ever again.
01. A Mix of Cultures
98 per cent of Iranian are practicing Islam religion. 89 per cent of them are Shia Muslims, and only 9 per cent are Sunni Muslims. The remaining two per cent of non-Islamic people are practicing Christianity, Baha’i, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.
There are slightly different numbers when it comes to ethnic groups, so there are 61% Iranians, 16% Azeri, 10% Kurds, 6% Lur, 2% Baloch, 2% Arabs and also 2% of Turkmen and Turkic tribes.
02. Different Kind of Marriage
One of the most interesting things about Iran is the existence of the short-term marriages that can last from a few hours to a few years, depends on a contract. This marriage is permitted under Sharia law.
It is a way for single men and women, divorced Iranians and precocious teens to date in a way that is acceptable in Shiite Islam.
03. New Politics
With such a huge, youthful demographic, it’s hardly surprising that Iranian youth is amongst the most politically active in the world today.
In the aftermath of the 2009 presidential elections, many youth organizations have mobilized, and have continually grown in size and influence since. They are now considered major actors in shaping the political landscape of the nation.
04. Youthful Nation
Iran’s population stands at around 80 million people – and a staggering %70 of them are 30 or younger.
This places Iran as one of the world’s most youthful nations – and since youth often brings change, it’s fascinating to look at the rapid changes this youthful demographic will undoubtedly make to the country’s conservative culture.
05. Magic Carpets
Persian carpets are as close to magic ones as possible. That amount of craftsmanship and history which counts over 2,500 years of making this carpets, gives them a magic effect for sure.
That is why the carpets are the second largest export commodity of the country, after oil. Each carpet is a masterpiece of its own, with just one little flaw – because only God can be perfect, no Iranian carpet master can make a perfection.
06. Nose Job Capital
Believe it or not, Iran is nicknamed the “Nose job capital of the world,” even surpassing South Korea in the number of plastic surgeries undertaken there.
While in many other countries getting work done on one’s nose may be considered embarrassing, in Iran it’s a widely accepted practice which can even enhance social status.
07. Her Majesty, the Persian Cat
With its long silky fur and almost a royal posture, this cat is one of the most expensive and most popular pets in the world. The fur is long so it can protect the car from the freezing temperatures in the Iranian mountains.
It was the Italians who brought this breed of cats to Europe in the 17h century, where it became a symbol of higher status.
08. Land of the Aryans
While the word “Aryan” carries different connotations today, it originated in Iran, back when it was known as the Persian Empire. The word “Iran” means “Land of the Aryans” in Persian – the Aryans being an ethnic term which describes the cultural, religious and linguistic characteristics of the Persian people.
The meaning of the name of country’s capital city, Teheran, is “warm slope” – and indeed, Teheran is situated on the southern slopes of the Alborz mountains, which can get as hot as 104°F in summer.
09. Taarof
‘Taarof’ is a Persian word that refers to civility that emphasizes both deference and social rank. Taarof is a tradition that represents politeness and humbleness that revolves around how to treat your guests.
For example, if someone offers you something, no matter if its food or a gift, you should politely refuse in order to show no greed. If they offer you again after that, it is ok to accept it.
10. Holidays
Iran is the country that has the most public holidays in the world. There are 25 public holidays annually, which are religious holidays connected to the birth or death of Shi’a Imams. And that is not all.
Every year people of Iran are getting more and more unofficial holidays which are added to the national ones.
11. Different Calendars
Iran uses three types of calendars – the Solar Hijri calendar, the Gregorian calendar and the Islamic lunar calendar. The problem is that all three of them are official in Iran, so when an unofficial religious holiday is added, that creates a problem to the locals who live by the solar calendar, because the holidays follow the lunar one.
In these cases, a Muslim cleric (Muslim scholars trained in Islam) has to calculate the dates for the community.
12. Famous Yogurt
Persian Milk is a famous milk product or yogurt, made in Iran. It is a delicious beverage that locals actually use for lots of other purposes. Iranians strongly believe that this yogurt is a good medicine that can clear coughs and sleepiness and can prolong life.
The other secret power of yogurt is treating sunburns and using yoghurt as a face mask in the beauty industry.
13. The Largest Carpet in the World
It makes sense that the World capitol of carpets is the maker of the biggest carpet in the world. This massive football field sized carpet was made in 2007 by the Iran Carpet Company for the mosque in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
5,630 square meters big, it was constructed in nine parts that were assembled in the mosque.
14. Persia to Iran
Iran was known as Persia throughout history. But when Reza Shah Pahlavi, who was the Shah of Iran from 1925 to 1941, started referring to the country as Iran and not Persia, everyone accepted.
From the local New Year (Nowruz) of 1935, Persia has been referred to as Iran. In 1979, after the monarchy was overthrown by religious clerics, Iran became the Islamic Republic of Iran.
15. “Rich Kids of Tehran”
“Rich Kids of Tehran” became a social media sensation during political riots that took place by youth in the country.
They became famous for their luxurious parties, expensive cars and jewelries and extravagant life style.
16. National Internet
Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are not accessible in the Iranian state-controlled national Internet. If you want to have a social media account, you have to have a private VPN.
The state-controlled internet was advertised as high speed and high-quality connection at a lower cost and was launched in 2012 on an official ceremony hosted by Iran’s communications and information technology minister.
17. Soccer Stars
Iranians are big sports fans. Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the country. Iran’s national football team have appeared in the group stage of the FIFA World Cup on five occasions, in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014 and 2018.
They even won three Asian Cup titles. Unfortunately, the women football team couldn’t participate in 2012 Olympic because FIFA banned the use of hijab in 2007.
18. Famous Poets
Persian culture has so much history that it couldn’t be possible to put it in one short article. But if anyone wants to know more about it, all they need to do is to read some of the famous Persian poets.
Poetry has a special place in Persian culture, and almost every person in Iran can recite lines from famous poems such as the “Shahnameh” or “The Epic of Kings.” Great poets such as Firdawsī, Hāfez, Sa’adī have written some of the most beautiful poems in history.
19. UNESCO Heritage sites
Persian Civilization is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, so it is not a surprise that Iran is home to 23 UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Persepolis (Takht-e-Jamshid), the capital of the Achaemenid Empire.
Other registered sites are Meidan Emam, Golestan Palace, Sheikh Safi al-din Khanegah, Historic Bazaar Complex, Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, and many more. If you are in Iran, be sure to visit all of the palaces, places of worship, bazaars and ancient water systems that dominate the list of UNESCO sites.
20. Water System
One of the registered UNESCO World Heritage sites is an ancient water system called Qanat. Qanat is a gently sloping underground channel which is used to transport water from a water well to the surface.
It is an old system of water supply from wells, using vertical access shafts. It was developed in ancient Iran between the years 700 BC to 500 BC, and is still in use today.
21. The Customs
Iranian families don’t use tables and chairs while eating. They simply sit on cushions on the floor. Because many of the families are quite big, this is more practical. Also, Iranians use their hands instead of spoons and forks while eating.
If you’re ever invited to a dinner in Iran, you should wait to be seated and should use you’re right hand to try everything on the menu. If offered more food, the offer should be declined to show politeness.
22. Iran’s Oil Production
With four million barrels pumped out each day, Iran alone has 10 per cent of the world’s oil reserves. That makes Iran the fourth largest oil producer in the world.
Iran is also a member of the Persian Gulf which consists of seven Arab states: Iraq, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Persian Gulf holds around 60 per cent of the world’s oil reserves.
23. The Language
Iran’s official language is called Farsi. Farsi is also spoken in Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Beside Farsi, there are seven other regional languages that are in used in Iran like Azerbaijani, Lori, Gilaki, Arabic, Kurdish, Mazandarani and Balochi.
24. Big Cats
The Asiatic Cheetah or Iranian Cheetah is one of the most critically endangered animals in the world and is an indigenous of Iran. Only 50 Asiatic Cheetahs still live today, all in Iranian protected areas in the eastern-central region.
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Iran’s national soccer team wore an illustration of the Asiatic Cheetah on their jerseys in order to raise awareness of this endangered species.
25. Delicates
Saffron, caviar and pistachios, are some of the products that Iran is famous for. Iran is also the biggest world producer of these goods. 50% of the Caspian Sea caviar market is under the control of Iran.
And since 28 grams of Beluga eggs are worth $160, this business is quite profitable. On the other side, due to overfishing, this fish is now rapidly disappearing from the sea.
26. Weddings are Free
Until recently, people chose not to get married because of the high cost of weddings. As a result, the government decided to set up an annual fund of $720 million to cover the costs of weddings for couples who choose to get married.
They strongly believed that this act will increase the number of marriages in the future.
27. Lectures on Marriage
If a couple decides to get married, they need a marriage license which they cannot receive until they attend certain classes.
These classes are actually an hour-long lecture on how to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
28. Literacy
The literacy rate back in the ’70s was alarmingly low with just 37 per cent of adults who could write and read.
Since the government introduced a modern education system, by 2015 the literacy rate was significantly better. 93% of adults in Iran were able to read and write. The rate has continued to grow over the years and now is an astonishing 97%.
29. Iranian Cuisine
A beautiful and delicious mix of Greek, Middle Eastern and Indian, Iranian cuisine is more varied, less spicy and full of fresh ingredients of all the cuisines mentioned. You can find all sorts of nuts and grains that, aside from fresh fruits and vegetables, are loved by Iranians.
Lamb, sheep and chicken are often served with rice and semi-leavened bread, and meals are usually finished with a cup of black tea.
30. (Not) Wearing a Tie
Most Iranians don’t like to wear a tie because they consider it a Western symbol. With the big political change in 1979, people got more comfortable wearing tie-less suits and Islamic garments.
The idea behind the garments is to remove any class or ethnic differences between people and promote equality. As for women, they must were hijab from the age of nine. This law is applied to tourists as well.
31. The Music Scene
Tehran is the capital of the underground music scene.
Tehran has an increase in Iranian rock and blues bands, and also have a massive underground heavy metal scene.
32. Damavand Volcano
Tehran is home to Damavand, a massive active volcano that last erupted 7,300 years ago.
This volcano is the highest in Asia, and also represent the highest peak in Iran. Damavand appears in Iran mythology and folklore as a symbol of resistance.
33. The Crown Jewels of Iran
Few dozens of tiaras, detailed crowns, bejeweled shields and swords, gems, and aigrettes are just a part of Iran’s Imperial crown jewels held by the Treasury of National Jewels in Tehran.
These jewels are actually used to back the Iranian currency.
34. Parkour in Iran
Originally from France, Parkour became really popular in Iran as well. This military obstacle course training based on acrobatic movement became popular on the streets of France in the late ’90s.
Young men and women from Iran found this sport interesting and Iran now has special parks and clubs that are dedicated to Parkour. The popularity of Parkour can be explained by the fact that there is no need for special equipment and every part of the city is a potential playground.
35. The Weather
Iran’s weather is pretty harsh. During the winter, the mountainous areas are snowy and freezing. Summers are hot and dry.
Iran doesn’t get much rain at all. The average annual rainfall is only 4 inches.
36. The Inventions
Persia was once a huge empire and the fertile ground for inventions. One of those were windmills.
In addition, some historians claim that the first postal mail system was created in Persia, way back in 550 BC.
37. Pollution
Iran is struggling with air pollution in recent years. Tehran officials estimated that 27 people are dying because of air pollution-related diseases every day.
A financial incentives was created to encourage citizens to leave Tehran.
38. Ban on Satellite TV
Satellite TV is banned in Iran so the majority of Iranians probably never watched Game of Thrones or other famous TV shows.
However, the same as with the internet, if you can get a secret VPN you can enjoy satellite TV.
39. Bring a Gift, Leave the Shoes
If an Iranian family invites you over, be sure to bring a gift with you. The custom in Iran is to bring flowers or pastries, so you don’t need to put a lot of effort into thinking about what to bring. Do check whether the host is wearing shoes or not.
The custom in Iran is to take off your shoes before you enter the house, but if the host is wearing his shoes then you’ll be fine with yours on.
40. The Olympic Games
Iran has sent participants to the Olympic Games since 1948. They only missed two opportunities to attend the Summer Olympic Games, in 1980 and again in 1984.
In 1984 Iran joined the 14 Eastern Bloc countries and allies led by the Soviet Union and boycotted the Olympic Games that were held in Los Angeles. Instead, these countries had their own Friendship Games.
41. First Female Medalist
The first Iranian female to win a medal at the Olympic Games was 19-year-old Kimia Alizadeh, a multi-medal Taekwondo fighting champion.
She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
42. Ancient Polo
We don’t know for a fact where polo was invented,
but we do know that Persians were the first to play the game back at the 6th century BC.
43. Female Taxi Drivers
Unlike what most people think, women are allowed to drive cars in Iran.
There’s even an all-women taxi service in Tehran.