My Ancestors

Iran's history as a nation of people speaking an Indo-European language did not begin until the middle of the second millennium B.C. Before then, Iran was occupied by people with a variety of cultures.

Historic periods and events
The Elamite Empire, 2500-644 BCE (C. Shahmiri)
The art of the ancient Iran (E. Porada)
The Median Empire, 728-550 BCE
Ecbatana, the capital of the ancient Median empire (J. Lendering)
Rhagae, Religious center in ancient Median empire, (J. Lendering)
The Achaemenid Empire, 550-330 BCE
The First Charter of the Rights of Nations, 539 BCE
Cyrus the Great: The decree of return for the Jewish people, 539 BCE (C.F. Horne)
The art of Achaemenids (E. Porada)

Pasargadae (Oldest of the capitals of the ancient Achaemenid empire) (J. Lendering)
Persepolis
Pictures of Persepolis
Susa, Favourite residence of the Persian king Darius the Great) (J. Lendering)
Darius the Great's Inscription at Naqshe Rostam
Words of Darius the Great in Bisotoun's Inscription
Achaemenid army (A.Sh. Shahbazi)
Immortals (Elite regiment in the ancient Achaemenid Empire) (Jona Lendering)
Royal Road, 5th century BCE (J. Lendering)
The Persian Wars (L. C. Stecchini)
The Life of Cyrus The Great (Xenophon)
Histories of Herodotus (A reference of Persian Empire of Achaemenian era)
Anabasis of Xenophon, (A reference of Persian Empire of Achaemenian era)
The Parthian Empire, 247 BCE-224 CE
The Art of Parthians (E. Porada)
Parthian Army (A.Sh. Shahbazi)
Ctesiphon (The capital of the Parthians & Sassanids) (J. Lendering)
General Surena (The Hero of Carrhae) (S. Suren-Pahlav)
The Sassanid Empire, 224-642 CE
A review of Sassanid images & inscriptions (A. Mahmoudabadi)
Ardeshir-e Papakan (C.F. Horne)
Emperor Ardeshir & the cycle of history (R. Frye)
The Art of Sassanians (E. Porada)
Sassanian Army (A.Sh. Shahbazi)
Manichaeism (The Forgotten Religion of Sassanid era) (I.J.S. Taraporewala)
Mazdakism (A religious & social movement) (I.J.S. Taraporewala)
Islamic Conquest, 636 CE
Saffarid Dynasty, 861-900 CE
Samanid Dynasty, 819-999 CE (Cyrus Shahmiri)
Turks & Mongols, 10th-15th century CE
Ismailieh (Assassins), 11th century CE
Safavid Empire, 1502-1736 (S. Ghasemi)
Afsharid Dynasty (Nader Shah), 1736-1757
Zand Dynasty, 1757-1794
Qajar Dynasty, 1794-1925
The Qajar class structure (A. Ashraf)
Pictures of Qajar era
Constitutional Revolution, 1906-1911
Pictures of Constitutional Revolution
Pahlavi Dynasty, 1925-1979
Oil Nationalization, 1949-1951
The 1953 Coup
The post-Mosaddeq era & Shah's White Revolution
The 1979 Revolution
Pictures of the 1979 Revolution
Iran after the 1979 Revolution
Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988
Pictures of Iran-Iraq War