The more we search through the forgotten writings of Iranian history, the more we realize how little we know about our country's past. We also come to understand the hardships and suffering our ancestors endured at the hands of rulers in their efforts to preserve their language, script, culture, and national identity.

The Shahnameh of Ferdowsi is the greatest national epic of the Iranian people and one of the most important literary works in world literature. For generations, a popular belief has circulated that "Ferdowsi did not use a single Arabic word in the Shahnameh." This claim has been repeated in books, lectures, and on social media, but linguistic research has shown that it is not literally true.

The Armenian Genocide of 1915–1917 represents one of the most consequential episodes of mass violence in modern history and remains a central case study in genocide scholarship. This article examines the destruction of Armenian communities within the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, focusing on the relationship between state policy, wartime security concerns, demographic transformation, and genocidal intent. Drawing upon Ottoman archival materials, diplomatic correspondence, survivor testimonies, demographic studies, and the broader historiography of genocide studies, this article analyzes the mechanisms through which mass deportation evolved into systematic destruction.

About the Author

Yahya Zoka (1923–2001) was an Iranian scholar, university professor, historian of Iranian art, and one of Iran's foremost experts on artistic heritage. He was born in Tabriz.

The Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BCE) ruled most of what is now Turkey for over two centuries, but unlike in Iran, there are relatively few monumental buildings that are unmistakably "Persian." This is because the Achaemenids generally governed Anatolia through existing local kingdoms and cities rather than replacing them with entirely new Persian cities.

The Sasanian (Sassanid) Empire (224–651 CE) controlled only a relatively small part of what is now Turkey, and usually only for limited periods. As a result, there are far fewer unmistakably Sasanian ruins in Turkey than Achaemenid or Roman/Byzantine remains. Most surviving sites are frontier fortifications, battlefields, or cities contested between the Roman/Byzantine and Sasanian empires, rather than monumental Sasanian palaces like those in Iran or Iraq.

It is impossible to speak of the history and archaeology of Iran without remembering the late Alireza Shapour Shahbazi. The central focus of this exceptional scholar's research was the history of the Achaemenid and Sasanian empires, yet he never overlooked the Shahnameh or the many other expressions of Iran's ancient cultural heritage. Indeed, anything that shed light on the ancient history of Iran was, for Shahbazi, worthy of careful investigation and scholarly attention. Now, twenty years after his passing, we perhaps appreciate more than ever what an extraordinary historian and archaeologist the field has lost. The anniversary of his death, on 16 July, offers an opportunity to briefly reflect on his remarkable scholarly legacy.

The establishment of a structured naval force under the Achaemenid Empire represents one of the most significant developments in the history of Persian maritime power. While maritime activities in the Persian world predate the Achaemenids by millennia, the reign of King Darius I (r. 522–486 BCE) marked a decisive transformation from regional seafaring traditions into an organized imperial naval system.

The Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906 (Mashruteh) represented one of the most remarkable political transformations in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Asia. Despite its structural weaknesses, limited social participation, and failure to establish a fully democratic system, the movement introduced unprecedented concepts of constitutional governance, rule of law, representative institutions, and limitations on absolute authority.

Al-Khwarizmi is one of Iran’s most renowned scholars, with a reputation that extends throughout the world. His name was not only celebrated in the past; even today, he is recognized globally for his originality and contributions to mathematics, astronomy, geography, and philosophy. Today, the 22nd of Tir, marks his auspicious birthday.