Long before Iran was called Iran, it
was known as Persia. Its civilization
dates back thousands of years. It
was ruled by dynasties of kings who
were later called shahs. Susa was
its first great city. People lived there
as far back as 4200 BCE.
The Persian Empire was
formed around 550
BCE. At its peak, its
borders reached from
the Mediterranean Sea
to modern-day Pakistan.
During the seventh century
CE, Persia became part of
the Islamic Empire. Islam became
the official religion in 1501, when
the Safavid dynasty took control.
In 1935, the country’s name
was changed to Iran. In 1941,
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi became
shah. He ruled Iran for 36 years. He
tried to modernize and westernize
the country. But Iran’s
religious leaders disagreed
with his plan. So did
many of the people.
Led by Ayatollah Khomeini,
they started a revolution. Khomeini
was a powerful religious leader. He
had been living in exile for going
against the shah.
In 1979, Pahlavi and his family
fled Iran. Shortly after, Khomeini
returned home. Iran became the
Islamic Republic of Iran. Khomeini
was its supreme leader. Later that
year, Islamic students stormed the
Shah
Mohammad Reza
Pahlavi left Iran
in 1979 and was
granted asylum in
Egypt.
Iran Is an
Ancient Country
3
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