In the West, when we consider the great ancient civilizations, often we think first of Egypt, Greece and Rome. Let's not forget the Persians, who ruled a large and complex empire in Western Asia from 550 BC—when Cyrus the Great, from Persis, established the Achaemenid Empire. Persis was a civilization in Southern Iran, along the Persian Gulf (a site of important current history). The Persians have always tended to call their country Iran (meaning "The Land of the Aryans"). It was the outsiders (originally the Greeks) who called the land "Persia." Over the years, this "exonym" was used to refer to an ever-expanding geography across the Iranian Plateau.
Over the centuries, the Persians rivaled (and battled) those other big empires. On two occasions, they conquered and ruled Egypt (until Alexander the Great "liberated" it for himself—and was crowned Pharaoh). At about the same time, Alexander (the Macedonian King who ruled Greece) also was invading and conquering the Persian homeland. And the Persians (under multiple dynasties) had a seven century conflict with the Romans.
The sophisticated contributions of the Persians to human life, science and culture cannot be overstated. As rulers of a far-flung and diverse empire, they created the governing and communications systems to manage vast territories (including the first postal system). The Persians championed great art and architecture—including stone carving, textiles, ceramics and metalwork. And most Ancient Persians were Zoroastrians—considered the oldest (or second-oldest) monotheistic religion, depending on how you date-mark the start of Judaism (whether from Abraham's conversion or from the compilation of a body of sacred Hebrew texts which formalized the religion).
The Persians made other significant (and delightful) contributions to human culture, including the elaborate celebration of birthdays, the serving of dessert after meals, and the cultivation of exquisitely-landscaped gardens. As engineers, they pioneered early refrigeration, efficient irrigation, and the creation of windmills. Persian culinary inventions include kebabs, rice pilaf and halva—the ground nut (or wheat) sweetened confection with a dense, fudge-like consistency.
Ceramics are a big part of Iranian artistry, as far back as the Prehistoric and Neolithic Eras, (beginning around 7000 BC). Ceramic tiles, in particular, were a significant medium of Iranian artistic expression, especially during the Islamic Golden Age (the 8th through the 13th Centuries AD). Such decorative tiles were used to adorn the interiors and exteriors of fanciful Islamic palaces and mosques. And the subsequent Safavid Period (16th through 18th Centuries AD) were highly-influenced by imported Chinese ceramics wares (especially the delicately painted blue and white porcelain).
The tile, shown above, is in the Qajar style which often depicted aristocratic and "courtly" scenes—including mounted kings and princes engaged in hunting. The Qajar Era (1785-1925) began with the Unification of Iran under the Turkic shah, Agha Mohammed Khan. This was an important era for Iranian art, culture and rule. First of all, it was a relatively peaceful time—which allowed the arts to flourish. It was also a period of increased cultural exchange with the West (which influenced Persian artists and artistry). Simultaneously, the increasing pace and pressures of Modernity spawned a movement to preserve the traditional Persian arts and culture. The tile, shown here, was made in the Mid-Twentieth Century, before the Islamic Revolution of 1979. It was made in the style of earlier Qajar tiles, possibly for architectural use (decorating the interior or exterior of a building) or it might have been made as a souvenir for someone visiting Iran. It was mounted (at a later date) in the limed wood frame. Click on the photo above to learn more about it.
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