Culture of Iran
The culture of Iran (Persian: فرهنگ ایران) or culture of Persia[1][2][3] is among the most influential in the world. Iran (Persia) is widely considered to be one of the cradles of civilization.[4][5][6][7] Due to its dominant geopolitical position in the world, it has heavily influenced peoples and cultures situated as far away as Southern Europe and Eastern Europe to the west; Central Asia to the north; the Arabian Peninsula to the south; and South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia to the east.[4][5][8] Iranian history has had a significant influence on the world through art, architecture, poetry, science and technology, medicine, philosophy, and engineering.
An eclectic cultural elasticity has been said to be one of the key defining characteristics of the Iranian identity and a clue to its historical longevity.[9] Richard N. Frye, a prominent Iranologist, stresses the high-level historical influence of the Iranian culture in his 2005 book Greater Iran: A 20th-century Odyssey:
Furthermore, Iran's culture has manifested itself in several facets throughout the history of the Iranian Plateau as well as of the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia.
Cuisine[edit]
Iranian cuisine refers to the culinary practices of Iran. Due to the historically common usage of the term "Persia" to refer to Iran in the Western world,[52][53][3] it is alternatively known as Persian cuisine, despite Persians being only one of a multitude of Iranian ethnic groups who have contributed to Iran's culinary traditions.[a]
The cuisine of Iran has made extensive contact throughout its history with the cuisines of its neighbouring regions, including Cuisine from the Caucasus, Central Asian cuisine, Greek cuisine, Levantine cuisine, Mesopotamian cuisine, Russian cuisine and Turkish cuisine.[55][56][57][58] Aspects of Iranian cuisine have also been significantly adopted by Indian cuisine and Pakistani cuisine through various historical Persianate sultanates that flourished during Muslim rule on the Indian subcontinent, with the most notable and influential of these polities being the Mughal Empire.[59][60][61]
Typical Iranian main dishes are combinations of rice with meat, vegetables and nuts. Herbs are frequently used, along with fruits such as plums, pomegranates, quince, prunes, apricots and raisins. Characteristic Iranian spices and flavourings such as saffron, cardamom, and dried lime and other sources of sour flavoring, cinnamon, turmeric and parsley are mixed and used in various dishes.
Outside of Iran, a strong presence of Iranian cuisine can be found in cities with significant Iranian diaspora populations, namely the San Francisco Bay Area, Toronto,[62][63][64][65] Houston and especially Los Angeles and its environs.[62][63][66]
Iranians celebrate the following days based on a solar calendar, in addition to important religious days of Islamic and Shia calendars, which are based on a lunar calendar.
From the humble brick, to the windmill, Persians have mixed creativity with art and offered the world numerous contributions.[86][87] What follows is a list of just a few examples of the cultural contributions of Greater Iran.
Videos