Iran

Five thousand years of Persia, from the Luristan bronzes and the terraces of Persepolis to the war and the protests of 2026. Carpets, miniatures and Sasanian silver; the radif and the Tehran pop of the 1970s; Kiarostami and the New Wave; fire temples, Friday mosques, Armenian churches and synagogues; the Qashqai and Bakhtiari migrations; Nowruz; the kitchens and the bakery ovens; and the three revolutions, in 1906, 1953 and 1979. Most of it was found in Persian, because the English-language record of Iran is not the same country.

A chronological documentary of 1,907 moments spanning 4000 BC–2026 on Loreline.

Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-08-26

Eras

Ancient Objects, What survives of Elam and early Iran in the museums: Luristan bronzes, stamp seals, chariot fittings, painted pottery and sword blades, from the fourth millennium BC.
Persepolis, The Achaemenid capital and the great rock sites: Persepolis itself, Pasargadae, Naqsh-e Rostam and the Behistun inscription of Darius.
Sasanian Silver, Parthian and Sasanian metalwork and vessels. Silver plates, animal-headed rhytons, ewers and incense burners from the empire that faced Rome.
Miniatures, Persian painting and the illustrated book. Shahnameh and Khamsa folios, album pages, and the calligraphy the paintings were made to accompany.
Early Silks, Sasanian and post-Sasanian woven silk. Roundels, mounted riders, confronted birds and pearl medallions, a design language that travelled the length of the Silk Road.
Small Objects, Figurines, spindle whorls, buttons, seals and the ordinary things that survive when nothing else does.
Metalwork, Inlaid brass and bronze, engraved copper, astrolabes, arms and armour.
Ceramics, Lustreware, minai and blue-and-white, the potteries of Kashan and Nishapur, and architectural tilework.
Textiles, Velvets, brocades, embroidery and termeh, and the garments made from them.
Carpets, The Persian carpet, on the loom and in the collections. Medallion carpets, prayer rugs, kilims and the knotting, dyeing and washing that make them.
Islamic Persia, From the Arab conquest through the Samanids, Seljuks, the Mongol invasion and Timur to the Safavids and Qajars.
Architecture, Naqsh-e Jahan and the Isfahan mosques, the windcatchers of Yazd, caravanserais, bridges, bazaars and the palaces of Tehran.
Zoroastrians, Fire temples, the towers of silence, the priests and the surviving community at Yazd. Note the dating of Zoroaster himself is contested by centuries.
Qajar Photographs, Nineteenth-century Persia through the camera: Antoin Sevruguin, the Golestan Palace royal albums and the European photographers who followed the roads.
Nomads, The Qashqai and Bakhtiari migrations, the black tents, the flocks and the passes, including the 1925 film Grass.
Constitutional Revolution, The Mashrutiyat of 1905 to 1911: the bazaar closures, the first Majlis, the bombardment of parliament and the Tabriz resistance of Sattar Khan.
Ancient Persia, The Achaemenids, Alexander, the Parthians and the Sasanians, told in documentary and lecture.
Daily Life, Ordinary life on film, from the earliest surviving footage of Mashhad and Tehran to the present day.
Classical Music, The radif and the dastgah system, and the singers and players who carry it. Shajarian, Nazeri, Parisa, Alizadeh, Kalhor and Meshkatian.
Mossadegh and the Coup, Oil nationalisation, Mossadegh's premiership and the 1953 coup. The CIA has since acknowledged its role; parts of the account remain contested.
Pop, The Tehran pop era and what followed it. Googoosh, Dariush, Ebi, Hayedeh and Vigen, and the modern and diaspora pop that grew out of them.
Cities and Regions, Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, Yazd and Mashhad, the Caspian provinces, Khuzestan, Baluchestan and the Gulf coast.
Cinema, The Iranian New Wave and after: Kiarostami, Farhadi, Panahi, Beyzai, Mehrjui and Bani-Etemad, with the festivals and the censorship reported as fact.
The Shah, The Pahlavi era as lived and as governed, including the White Revolution and the 1971 celebration at Persepolis.
Instruments, The tar, setar, santur, ney, kamancheh, tombak and daf, played and explained.
Nowruz, The new year and the festival calendar: haft-sin, Chaharshanbe Suri, Sizdah Bedar, Yalda and Mehregan. Nowruz is kept across thirteen nations, not Iran alone.
Regional Music, The music of Iran's peoples: Azeri ashiq, Kurdish, Baloch, Bakhtiari, Lori, Gilaki, Turkmen dotar and the bakhshis of Khorasan.
Revolution of 1979, From the Qom protests through Black Friday and the strikes to the Shah's departure, Khomeini's return, the referendum and the embassy seizure.
Iran-Iraq War, The war of 1980 to 1988 and its cost, in period footage and in the museums and cemeteries that hold its memory.
Modern Iran, The reform years, the Green Movement of 2009, Woman Life Freedom in 2022, the nuclear question, and the war and protests of 2025 and 2026.
Underground, Persian rap and independent music made under restriction, at home and in exile.
Devotional Music, Sufi ceremony, tazieh passion plays, naqqali storytelling and the drum of the zurkhaneh.
Mosques and Shrines, The Friday mosques, the shrines at Mashhad and Qom, Ashura and Muharram, and the Shia practice that became the state religion under the Safavids.
Gardens and Qanats, The chahar bagh and the water that makes it possible. Persian gardens, qanats, ab anbars and the ice houses of the desert.
Crafts, Artisans at work: khatam marquetry, qalamzani engraving, turquoise, glass, tilework and the coppersmiths of the bazaar.
Minorities, Armenian Christians and the churches of New Julfa, one of the oldest Jewish diasporas in the world, Baha'is, Mandaeans and Yarsanis.
Food, Working kitchens and bakery ovens: chelo kabab, ghormeh sabzi, fesenjan, tahdig, ash reshteh, sangak and the tea house.

4000 BC - Nesting Quail Stamp Seal. 4000 BC.
3000 BC - Pot. 3000 BC, under Luristan.
3000 BC - Pot (2 of 2). Pot, ceramic, earthenware, made in Luristan, Iran, around 3000 BC, under Luristan.
3000 BC - Cup. 3000 BC, under Luristan.
2000 BC - Cotter Pin for Chariot. 2000 BC, under Luristan.
2000 BC - Domestic Axe-Head. 2000 BC, under Luristan.
2000 BC - Cylinder with a ritual scene. 2000 BC.
2000 BC - Sword. 2000 BC, under Luristan.
2000 BC - Sword Handle. 2000 BC, under Luristan.
2000 BC - Axe-Head with Four Picks. 2000 BC, under Luristan.
2000 BC - Necklace or Torque. 2000 BC, under Luristan.
2000 BC - Sword Blade. 2000 BC, under Luristan.
1500 BC - Composite Lion and Bull. 1500 BC.
1200 BC - "Bear-Woman" Vessel. 1200 BC.
1100 BC - Ibex Whetstone Handle. 1100 BC, under Luristan.
1100 BC - Lion Hunting Cup. 1100 BC, under the Amlash region.
1100 BC - Beaker. 1100 BC.
1000 BC - Decorated Cylinder. 1000 BC.
1000 BC - Red-Burnished Jug. 1000 BC, under the Amlash region.
1000 BC - Jug. 1000 BC, under the Amlash region.
1000 BC - Rhyton. 1000 BC, under the Amlash region.
1000 BC - Lion Plaque. 1000 BC.
1000 BC - Crescent Axe Head. 1000 BC, under the Amlash region.
1000 BC - Spouted Zebu Vessel. 1000 BC.
1000 BC - Votive Pin. 1000 BC, under Luristan.
900 BC - Hero and Animal Combat Beaker. 900 BC, under Luristan.
900 BC - Button-Based Situlas. 900 BC, under Luristan.
900 BC - Button-Based Situla (2 of 2). Button-Based Situla, metalwork, bronze, repoussé, punched, incised, made in Luristan, Iran, around 900 BC, under Luristan.
900 BC - Button-Based Situla. 900 BC, under Luristan.
800 BC - Votive Pin with Decorated Disc. 800 BC, under Luristan.
800 BC - Three-Part Pitcher. 800 BC, under Luristan.
800 BC - Figurine. 800 BC, under the Amlash region.
800 BC - Axel Shaft Cup. 800 BC, under Luristan.
800 BC - Horse Bit with Winged Ibex Cheekpieces. 800 BC, under Luristan.
700 BC - Ibex Standard Finial. 700 BC, under Luristan.
700 BC - Master of Animals Cheekpiece. 700 BC, under Luristan.
700 BC - Stamp seal (scaraboid with pointed top) with plant. (quartz), made in Iran, in the 8th century BC.
600 BC - Stamp seal (2 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, chalcedony, blue, made in Iran, in the 7th century BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
600 BC - Fibula. 600 BC.
600 BC - Stamp seal. 7th century BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
600 BC - Ram-Head Drinking Vessel. 600 BC, under Median Iran.
550 BC - Arrow Point (2 of 2). Arrow Point, metalwork, bronze, made in Iran, around 550 BC.
550 BC - Arrow Point. 550 BC.
525 BC - Ibex-Head Ornament. 525 BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
500 BC - Lion's Head. 500 BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
500 BC - Median Lion Strangler. 500 BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
500 BC - Ibex Bracelet Terminal. 500 BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
500 BC - Stamp seal (3 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, sard, red-brown, made in Iran, around 500 BC.
486 BC - Fragment of a Wall Decoration from the Palace of Xerxes: "Guardsman" in Procession. 486 BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
400 BC - Stag Bridle Ornament. 400 BC.
400 BC - Stamp seal (4 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, chalcedony, bluish, made in Iran, in the 5th century BC.
379 BC - Stater: Head of Pharnabazus, Helmeted, within Circle (reverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, around 379 BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
379 BC - Stater: Ba'al, Seated with Scepter, within Circle (obverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, around 379 BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
379 BC - Stater: Baal (obverse); Head of Pharnabazos (reverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, around 379 BC, under the Achaemenid empire.
300 BC - Stamp seal (5 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, jasper, green, made in Iran, in the 4th century BC, under the Sasanian empire.
200 BC - Indo-Greek Coin (2 of 2). Indo-Greek Coin, silver, silver, made in Bactria, in present-day northern Afghanistan, around 200 BC.
200 BC - Indo-Greek Coin. 200 BC.
200 BC - Figurine of a feline. 3th century BC, under the Parthian period.
170 BC - Coin of Eukratides I (2 of 2). Coin of Eukratides I, coins, silver, made in Bactria, in present-day northern Afghanistan, around 170 BC.
170 BC - Coin of Eukratides I. 170 BC.
0100 - Feline-Handled Incense Burner. 100, under the Parthian period.
0100 - Ewer with Spout in the Form of an Elephant with a Mahut. 100.
0200 - Miniature Reliquary. 200.
0200 - Horse-Shaped Drinking Vessel. 200, under the Sasanian empire.
0200 - Peacock Ring. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Pendant Earring. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Pendant or Earring. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Draped Figure. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Head of a Goddess. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Head of a Goddess (2 of 2). Head of a Goddess, sculpture, terracotta, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Head of a Child. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Figurine (2 of 5). Figurine, sculpture, bone, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Figurine (3 of 5). Figurine, sculpture, bone, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Amulet. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Amulet (2 of 2). Amulet, miscellaneous, carved bone, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Garnet. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Vase. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Vase (2 of 3). Vase, ceramic, terracotta, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Jar. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Jar (2 of 3). Jar, ceramic, terracotta, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Head of a Weeping Woman. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Pilgrim Flask. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Pilgrim Flask (2 of 2). Pilgrim Flask, ceramic, terracotta, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Ornament. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Ring. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Ring (2 of 4). Ring, jewelry, gold, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Stick. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Head of a Girl. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Five Burner Lamp. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Lamp. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Lamp (2 of 2). Lamp, ceramic, terracotta, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Ovoid Vase. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Ovoid Vase (2 of 2). Ovoid Vase, ceramic, terracotta, in 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Small Pitcher. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Figurine - Rooster. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Bottle. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Pendant. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Small Bowl. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Carved Bone. 200, under the Parthian period.
0200 - Ladies at Toilette. 200.
0200 - Ladies Entertained by Dancers. 200.
0200 - Stamp seal (6 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, onyx, nicolo, made in Iran, in the 3th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0200 - Stamp seal (7 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, onyx, sardonyx, made in Iran, in the 3th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0200 - Seal with head of an antelope. 3th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0222 - Rim Fragment. 222, under the Sasanian empire.
0222 - Bowl. 222, under the Sasanian empire.
0222 - Jar (3 of 3). Jar, ceramic, earthenware, made in Iran, around 222, under the Sasanian empire.
0224 - Vase (3 of 3). Vase, glass, glass, made in Iran, around 224, under the Sasanian empire.

…1,727 further moments continue the chronology here. Full text archive: /loreline-text/iran.md

0226 - Silver Dish. 226, under the Sasanian empire.
0241 - Stamp seal (8 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, carnelian, made in Iran, around 241, under the Sasanian empire.
0300 - Anahita Vessel. 300, under the Sasanian empire.
0300 - Bowl (2 of 14). Bowl, metalwork, silver, made in Iran, around 300, under the Sasanian empire.
0300 - Sasanian King Hunting Lions. 300, under the Sasanian empire.
0300 - Chair Leg. 300.
0300 - Chair Leg (2 of 2). Chair Leg, ivory, ivory, made in present-day Afghanistan, around 300.
0300 - Stamp seal (9 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, jasper, pink, made in Iran, in the 4th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0300 - Stamp seal (10 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, carnelian, made in Iran, in the 4th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0300 - Ellipsoid stamp seal: tulips. 4th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0300 - Inscribed stamp seal with elephant's head. 4th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0302 - Drachm: Fire Altar with Bust, Zoroastrian Priest and King as Priest (reverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, in 302, under the Sasanian empire.
0302 - Drachm: Bust of Hormizd II (obverse); Fire Altar with Bust (reverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, in 302, under the Sasanian empire.
0302 - Drachm: Bust of Hormizd II (obverse); Fire altar with Bust (reverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, in 302, under the Sasanian empire.
0302 - Drachm: Bust of Hormizd II Wearing Crown (obverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, in 302, under the Sasanian empire.
0302 - Drachm: Fire altar with bust, Zoroastrian priest holding sword left, King as priest holding sword right (reverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, around 302, under the Sasanian empire.
0302 - Drachma: Bust of Hormizd II, r., wearing crown (obverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, in 302, under the Sasanian empire.
0303 - Drachm: Fire altar with bust of Hormizd II, Zoroastrian priest holding sword left, King as priest holding sword right (reverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, in 303, under the Sasanian empire.
0303 - Drachm: Bust of Hormizd II (obverse); Fire altar with bust (reverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, in 303, under the Sasanian empire.
0303 - Drachm: Bust of Hormizd II, r., wearing crown (obverse). ), coins, silver, made in Iran, in 303, under the Sasanian empire.
0400 - Dish with King Hormizd II or Hormizd III Hunting Lions. 400, under the Sasanian empire.
0400 - Dish: The Goddess Anahita. 400, under the Sasanian empire.
0400 - Stepped Pitcher. 400, under the Sasanian empire.
0400 - Ibex Eating. (gypsum plaster) with traces of paint, made in Iran, around 400, under the Sasanian empire.
0400 - Fire Altar Intaglio. 400, under the Sasanian empire.
0400 - Stamp seal (11 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, onyx, nicolo, made in Iran, in the 5th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0400 - Stamp seal (12 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, carnelian, made in Iran, in the 5th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0500 - Woman and Water Buffalo Rhyton. 500, under the Sasanian empire.
0500 - Hunt Pitcher. 500, under the Sasanian empire.
0500 - Bowl (3 of 14). Bowl, metalwork, silver, made in Iran, around 500, under the Sasanian empire.
0500 - Stamp seal (13 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, nicolo, made in Iran, in the 6th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0500 - Stamp seal (14 of 14). Stamp seal, stamp seal, agate, banded, made in Iran, in the 6th century, under the Sasanian empire.
0600 - Hanging fragment with boar head. 600.
0600 - Silk fragment with roundels of ducks. 600.
0600 - Two Fragments of Large Scale Roundel. 600.
0600 - Fragment of Large Scale Roundel. 600.
0600 - Fragment of Large Scale Roundel (2 of 2). Fragment of Large Scale Roundel, textile, compound twill; wool and cotton, made in Iran, around 600.
0700 - A Child’s Coat with Ducks in Pearl Medallions and a Child's Pants. 700.
0700 - Figurine (4 of 5). Figurine, miscellaneous, carved bone, made in Iran, around 700.
0700 - Figurine (5 of 5). Figurine, miscellaneous, bone, incised, made in Iran, around 700.
0700 - Samite with roundels of rosettes. 700.
0700 - Two Mounted Fragments of a Border (from a Garment ?). ), textile, goat hair, wool, and cotton: tapestry (originally inwoven in tabby ground), made in Iran, around 700, under the Abbasid period.
0700 - Spindle Whorl. 700.
0700 - Spindle Whorl (2 of 2). Spindle Whorl, spindle whorl, bone, incised, made in Iran, around 700.
0700 - Hanging with foliate roundel and rider. 700.
0700 - Fragment (from a Garment ?). ), textile, goat hair, wool, and cotton: tapestry (originally inwoven in tabby ground), made in Iran, around 700, under the Abbasid period.
0700 - Bone Object. 700.
0700 - Fragment (from a Garment?). ), textile, tapestry (originally inwoven in tabby ground); goat hair, wool and cotton, made in Iran, around 700, under the Abbasid period.
0700 - Ring (3 of 4). Ring, miscellaneous, bone, made in Iran, around 700.
0700 - Ring (4 of 4). Ring, miscellaneous, bone, made in Iran, around 700.
0700 - Fragment with headless eagle. 700.
0700 - Hollow Tube. 700.
0700 - Fragment of roundels with single bird. 700.
0800 - Qur'an Manuscript Folio. 800, under the Abbasid period.
0800 - Qur'an Manuscript Folio (verso). ), calligraphy, ink, gold, and color on parchment, made in Iran, around 800, under the Abbasid period.
0800 - Bottle (2 of 3). Bottle, glass, glass, made in Iran, around 800.
0800 - Roundels with Hunters. 800.
0800 - Bottle (3 of 3). Bottle, glass, glass, made in Iran, around 800.
0800 - Roundels with Hunters. 800.
0800 - Samite fragment with hunters. 800.
0800 - Fragment from a Large Hanging. 800, under the Abbasid period.
0800 - Fragment, Probably from a Hanging. 800, under the Abbasid period.
0800 - Fragment. 800, under the Abbasid period.
0899 - Fragments with winged lions in roundels. 899, under the Seljuq period.
0900 - Jug. 900, under the Buyid period.
0900 - Nishapur Figural Bowl. 900, under the Samanid period.
0900 - Pair of Buttons. 900.
0900 - Bowl (4 of 14). Bowl, ceramic, earthenware with underglaze slip-painted decoration, made in Nishapur, Iran, around 900, under the Samanid period.
0900 - Button. 900.
0900 - Bowl with Two Birds. 900, under the Samanid period.
0900 - Miniature Vase. 900.
0900 - Button. 900.

Full text archive: /loreline-text/iran.md

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