1. Settlements in Iran date all the way back to 4000 B.C.
2. Persian culture is famous for its poetry, rugs, and gardens. Did you know, the English word ‘paradise’ comes from the Persian word meaning ‘enclosed garden’.
3. There are various ethnic and religious groups living here in Iran. The majority of the population is Shia Muslims (approximately 90%).
4. Iran translated from Persian means ‘Land of the Aryans’ and comes from the word “aryan” when it was first used as an ethnic label. It was then used to describe culture, religion, and linguistics of Iran.
5. Around 70% of Iran’s population is under the age of 30.
6. The capital of Iran is Tehran, where nearly 12 million people live.
7. On the first day of Spring in Iran, there are huge celebratory feasts! Mothers eat one hard-boiled egg for each child they have, and set the table using seven items that begin with the letter “s” in their native Farsi language.
8. It is believed that only God can be perfect, so there is always a single mistake woven into each Persian rug on purpose.
9. In 2007 the Iranian Carpet Company weaved the biggest hand-woven carpet in the world, which was then given to the Abu Dhabi mosque. It was as big as a soccer field! It had to be constructed in nine parts and pieced together inside of the mosque.
10. Our country is one of the world’s largest producers of pistachios, caviar and saffron.
11. When you’re walking in the streets of Iran, you might come across a lot of polite and humble antics ―that’s called Taarof. It’s the social glue of Iranian culture and has its roots in Persian traditions. It literally means “meeting together.”
12. Called “Persian Milk” in Iran, yogurt is one of the most precious commodities in the country because of all its special properties. The locals use it for basically everything, which means they don’t only consume the produce as food.
13. Since 2012, Iran has used its very own state-controlled national Internet, or rather a private Intranet network, for everyone to use.
14. Iran is home to 23 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Due to the history of the old Persian Civilization, Iran boasts a lot of impressive sites such as Persepolis (Takht-e-Jamshid), the capital of the Achaemenid Empire.
15. The Asiatic Cheetah, also dubbed the Iranian Cheetah, is a critically endangered cheetah subspecies only living in Iran today. The beautiful species is guarded in protected areas in the eastern-central region of Iran because of the arid weather conditions there.
