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Sassanian Kings List & Commentary
The Sassanian Empire (224-651) was the greatest expression of Persian culture in the ancient world. It was consciously modeled on the earlier Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE) which established Persian supremacy in the region and developed...

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Persian Ox Head Rhyton with Feast Scene
This ox head rhyton with a feast scene is from the Erebuni Fortress, which is located in what is present-day Yerevan, Armenia. It is made of silver and dates from the 4th century BCE when the Erebuni Fortress was under the control of the...

Definition
Ferdowsi
Abolqasem Ferdowsi (l. c. 940-1020 CE, also given as Abul-Qasem Ferdowsi Tusi, Firdawsi, Firdausi) is the author of the Shahnameh (The Persian Book of Kings), one of the greatest works of world literature and the national epic of Iran. He...

Definition
Ancient Armenia
Ancient Armenia, located in the south Caucasus area of Eurasia, was settled in the Neolithic era but its first recorded state proper was the kingdom of Urartu from the 9th century BCE. Incorporated into the Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great...

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Coin of a Persian Satrap
In the Persian Empire, some regional governors (satraps) were authorized to issue coins for military purposes. They combine Persian and Greek imagery, showing a satrap's head and a local reverse image. These are some of the earliest coin...

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Bureaucracy in the Achaemenid Empire: Learning from the Past
In the early days of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE), the kings came to realise that, if they were to be able to administer the vast mass of land and the multicultural people who inhabited it, they had to create an organizational system...

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Persian Inspired Decor at Surb Karapet Church
Situated along the Silk Route between Byzantium and Persia, medieval Armenia was influenced by its neighboring cultures. In this picture, one can clearly detect strong the Persian artistic influence on this geometric bas-relief located in...

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Ten Ancient Persia Facts You Need to Know
Ancient Persian culture exerted a powerful influence throughout the Near East, and beyond, for over a thousand years between c. 550 BCE - 651 CE and many aspects of their culture continued to influence others afterwards and up through the...

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Coins Depicting a Persian Satrap
In the Persian Empire, some regional governors (satraps) were authorized to issue coins for military purposes. They combine Persian and Greek imagery, showing a strap's head and a local reverse image. These are some of the earliest coin portraits...

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Twelve Great Women of Ancient Persia
Women in ancient Persia had more rights and greater freedom than any other ancient civilization including, according to some scholars, even ancient Egypt which is famous for its respect for the feminine principle in religion as well as daily...