Ancient persian: Did you mean...?

Ancient Mesopotamian art and architectural works are among the oldest in the world, dating back over 7,000 years. The works first appear in northern Mesopotamia prior to the Ubaid period (circa 6500-4000 BCE) and then developed in the south...

Cats and humans have shared in each other's lives for thousands of years and, even though they have not always been regarded as highly as in the present, have played an important role in a number of cultures. Always enigmatic, the cat has...

Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Achaemenid Empire from the reign of Darius I (the Great, r. 522-486 BCE) until its destruction in 330 BCE. Its name comes from the Greek Perses-polis (Persian City), but the Persians knew it as Parsa...

Garshasp kills the dragon, illustration from the Shahnameh, Sultanate of Delhi, c. 1450. Rietberg Museum, Zürich.

Persian miniature painting on a tile, earthenware under coloured glazes, probably from Isfahan, 17th century CE. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The so-called 'garden scenes' are among the most typical settings in the Persian literary...

The Behistun Inscription is a relief with accompanying text carved 330 feet (100 meters) up a cliff in Kermanshah Province, Western Iran. The work tells the story of the victory of the Persian king Darius I (the Great, r. 522-486 BCE) over...

The Achaemenid Empire (c. 550-330 BCE) was the first great Persian political entity in Western and Central Asia which stretched, at its peak, from Asia Minor to the Indus Valley and Mesopotamia through Egypt. It was founded by Cyrus II (the...

The Achaemenid Persian Empire emerged in the mid-6th century BCE when Cyrus II (reign 559–530 BCE) united the Persian tribes and overthrew the Median kingdom (c. 550 BCE), establishing a new imperial state that would reshape the political...

Scene from Shahnameh: Rustam (or Rustum) shoots Isfandiyar in the eyes with a double-pointed arrow, from manuscript Ms. or. fol. 4251, Berlin State Library

Egypt is a country in North Africa, on the Mediterranean Sea, and is home to one of the oldest civilizations on earth. The name 'Egypt' comes from the Greek Aegyptos which was the Greek pronunciation of the ancient Egyptian name 'Hwt-Ka-Ptah'...