From Ancient Persia to Modern Iran By: Jalil Ghorbani

Journey Through Time

Cultures,Traditions and Celebrations Eid Norooz (New Year) – March or first day of spring Sofreh Hafteseen Contains 7 items starting with the letter s Each items stands for a meaning; ex: well-being, prosperity, happiness, friendship

It lasts 13 days During this time, younger people are required to pay visits to their older relatives, friends, etc… and collect gifts There is a lot of social gatherings and festivities On the 13 th day or sizda be-dar, people go outside to spend their day in nature

Toward the end of the year, people celebrate chaharshanbe-suri, (Festival of Fire) in which they make bonfires and jump over them singing zardi-ye man az to, sorkhi-ye to az man Fire is considered to be a glorified and purified state The literal translation is, my sickly yellow paleness is yours, your fiery red color is mine.

This is a purification rite. Loosely translated, this means you want the fire to take your paleness, sickness, and problems and in turn give you redness, warmth, and energy It is an ancient Iranian festival dating back to at least 1700 BCE of the early Zoroastrian era

Cities Tehran: capital of Iran Milad Tower

Mashhad

Persepolis Persepolis (Persian city) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca BCE) Persepolis is situated 70 km northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the The earliest remains of Persepolis date from around 515 BCE. However, some ruins still remain after much of it was destroyed by Alexander the Great, not that Great actually

Greetings Hello How are you My name is… Im fine, thank-you Goodbye سلام حال شما چطور است نام من است خداحافظی

Food and Cuisine Persian cuisine is notable for their kabobs-cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables such as grilled tomatoes Various flavorings are added such as parsley, cilantro, etc… Kabobs were once thought to be foods for kings and royalty

They are served with rice mixed with a special spice called saffron for additional taste The cuisine of Iran is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, as well as culinary traditions and styles, distinct to their regions Persian foods are not known as spicy Iran is also famous for its caviar, but mostly wealthy people eat them

Sports Soccer, soccer, and soccer with the national team having reached the World Cup Final Tournament three times, and having won the Asian Cup on three occasions Basketball is also very popular in Iran where the national team won two of the last three Asian Championships Volleyball is also taking much popularity among the people in Iran

Iran is also home to several unique skiing resorts, with the Tochal resort being the world's fifth-highest ski resort (3,730 m/12,238 ft at its highest station), and located only fifteen minutes away from Tehran Being a mountainous country, Iran is a venue for hiking, rock climbing, and mountain climbing

Politics The Green Movement refers to a series of actions after the 2009 Iranian presidential election, in which protesters demanded the removal of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from office Green was initially used as the symbol of reformer Mir Hossein Mousavi's campaign, but after the election it became the symbol of unity and hope for those asking for invalidation of what they regarded as a false election Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi are recognized as political leaders of the Green Movement Witnesses to Green Movement protests often claim that protests of this size have not been seen in Iran since the 1979 revolution