Portal:Iran
Introduction
Iran (Persian: ایران Irān [ʔiːˈɾɒːn] (
listen)), also known as Persia (/ˈpɜːrʒə/), officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: جمهوری اسلامی ایران Jomhuri-ye Eslāmi-ye Irān (
listen)), is a country in Western Asia. With over 81 million inhabitants, Iran is the world's 18th-most-populous country. Comprising a land area of 1,648,195 km2 (636,372 sq mi), it is the second-largest country in the Middle East and the 17th-largest in the world. Iran is bordered to the northwest by Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, to the north by the Caspian Sea, to the northeast by Turkmenistan, to the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, to the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and to the west by Turkey and Iraq. The country's central location in Eurasia and Western Asia, and its proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, give it geostrategic importance. Tehran is the country's capital and largest city, as well as its leading economic and cultural center.
Iran is home to one of the world's oldest civilizations, beginning with the formation of the Elamite kingdoms in the fourth millennium BCE. It was first unified by the Iranian Medes in the seventh century BCE, reaching its greatest territorial size in the sixth century BCE, when Cyrus the Great founded the Achaemenid Empire, which stretched from Eastern Europe to the Indus Valley, becoming one of the largest empires in history. The Iranian realm fell to Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE and was divided into several Hellenistic states. An Iranian rebellion culminated in the establishment of the Parthian Empire, which was succeeded in the third century CE by the Sasanian Empire, a leading world power for the next four centuries.
Selected general article
The Byzantine–Seljuq Wars were a series of decisive battles that shifted the balance of power in Asia Minor and Syria from the Byzantine Empire to the Seljuq Turks. Riding from the steppes of Central Asia, the Seljuq Turks replicated tactics practiced by the Huns hundreds of years earlier against a similar Roman opponent but now combining it with new-found Islamic zeal; in many ways, the Seljuq Turks resumed the conquests of the Muslims in the Byzantine–Arab Wars initiated by the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abassid Caliphate in the Levant, North Africa and Asia Minor. Today, the Battle of Manzikert is widely seen as the moment when the Byzantines lost the war against the Turks; however the Byzantine military was of questionable quality before 1071 with regular Turkish incursions overrunning the failing theme system. Even after Manzikert, Byzantine rule over Asia Minor did not end immediately, nor were any heavy concessions levied by the Turks on their opponents — it took another 20 years before the Turks were in control of the entire Anatolian peninsula and not for long either. During the course of the war, the Seljuq Turks and their allies attacked the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt, capturing Jerusalem and catalyzing the call for the First Crusade. Crusader assistance to the Byzantine Empire was mixed with treachery and looting, although substantial gains were made in the First Crusade. Within a hundred years of Manzikert, the Byzantines had (with Crusader assistance) successfully driven back the Turks from the coasts of Asia Minor and extended their influence right down to Palestine and even Egypt. Later, the Byzantines were unable to extract any more assistance, and the Fourth Crusade even led to the sack of Constantinople. Before the conflict petered out, the Seljuqs managed to take more territory from the weakened Empire of Nicaea until the Sultanate itself was taken over by the Mongols, leading to the rise of the ghazis and the conclusive Byzantine–Ottoman wars.
Selected image article
An old model of Peykan near Chaldoran, West Azerbaijan, Iran.
In this month
- November 1, 1979 – Iran hostage crisis: Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini urges his people to demonstrate on November 4 and to expand attacks on United States and Israeli interests.
WikiProjects
| You are invited to participate in WikiProject Iran, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about Iran. |
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- Asia • Western Asia • Countries
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- Geography • History • Armenia • Azerbaijan • Caucasia • Central Asia • Iraq • Russia • Georgia • Islam • Kurdistan • Afghanistan • Turkmenistan • Tajikistan • Greece • Turkey
Selected biography
In the news
- July 1: FIFA World Cup 2018 day 12, 13, 14, 15: Iran, Nigeria, Germany, Senegal out of the tournament
- June 21: FIFA World Cup 2018 day seven: Portugal, Uruguay, Spain win 1-0
- June 16: FIFA World Cup 2018 Day 2: Uruguay, Iran win three points each with late goals; Portugal-Spain share the spoils
- February 21: Iran: Wreckage found of plane crashed in mountains; all believed dead
- October 21: United States judges block third version of President Trump's travel ban
- January 9: Former Irani president Rafsanjani dies, aged 82
- December 29: Around 7,100 cheetahs remain, say experts
- October 4: Argentina wins maiden FIFA Futsal World Cup
Did you know...
- ...that Lake Urmia, Iran's largest lake, is too salty to support fish?
- ...that the Russo-Persian War of 1796 was cancelled by Tsar Paul I within one month after his ascension to the Russian throne?
- ...that the Iran-Pakistan barrier is currently being constructed by Iran along its border with Pakistan to stop illegal migration and thwart terror attacks?
- ...that the 5th-century Sassanian Emperor of Iran Yazdegerd I (pictured on coin) was given the epithets of Ramashtras ("the most quiet") as well as Al Khasha ("the harsh")?
- ...that Shirazi wine from the Persian city of Shiraz was white and has nothing to do with the Shiraz grape used to make wine today?
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300 (film)
1997 Qayen earthquake
2002 Bou'in-Zahra earthquake
2005 Qeshm earthquake
Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan
Alcibiades
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Byzantine Empire
Caspian expeditions of the Rus'
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