PICRYL
PICRYL

The World's Largest Public Domain Source

  • homeHome
  • searchSearch
  • collectionsCollections
  • camera_altMedia
  • infoAbout
  • account_boxLogin

Pre-Islamic Persia

Iran, or Persia, is home to one of the world's oldest major civilizations, with first known urban settlements dating back to 7000 BC. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel names the Persians as the first Historical People. The Persian civilization begins in the Iron Age. The First Persian Empire was the only civilization in all of history to connect over 40% of the global population, accounting for approximately 49.4 million of the world's 112.4 million people in around 480 BC. They were succeeded by the Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian Empires, who successively governed Iran for almost 1000 years.
The Muslim conquest of Persia (633–656) ended the Sasanian Empire of classical antiquity and was a turning point in Iranian history. Islamization of Iran took place during the eighth to tenth centuries and led to the eventual decline of Zoroastrianism in Iran as well as many of its dependencies. The achievements of the previous Persian civilizations were to a great extent absorbed by the new Islamic civilization.
Persia's arch-rival was the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine Empire.
Iran persepolis ancient, architecture buildings.
620 Media in collection ∙ page 1 of 7

Tower of Babel and Zoroaster from BL YT 28, f. 51

Miniature of the building of the Tower of Babel; miniature of Zoroaster with two demons, from Pseudo-Aristotle's Secreta secretorum. Image taken from f. 51 of Secreta secretorum (ff. 1-43); Il Tesoro (translati... more

Zoroaster from BL YT 28, f. 51

Detail of a mminiature of Zoroaster with two demons, from Pseudo-Aristotle's Secreta secretorum. Image taken from f. 51 of Secreta secretorum (ff. 1-43); Il Tesoro (translation of Li Livres dou Tresor) (ff. 43v... more

Xerxes from BL Royal 14 E V, f. 139

Miniature of the death of Xerxes, with a partial border containing the arms of Richard IV and a shield with a white rose of the York family, at the beginning of chapter 6 of book 3. Image taken from f. 139 of D... more

Xerxes from BL Royal 14 E V, f. 139

Detail of a miniature of the death of Xerxes, at the beginning of chapter 6 of book 3. Image taken from f. 139 of De casibus virorum illustrium in French translation (Des cas des ruynes des nobles hommes et fem... more

Persia from "Narrative of the Chinese Embassy to the Khan of the Tourgouth Tartars in the years 1712, 13, 14 & 15; by the Chinese Ambassador (Tu-li-Shin) and published by the Emperor's authority at Pekin. Translated from the Chinese, and accompanied by an appendix of miscellaneous translations by Sir G. T. Staunton"

This image has been taken from scan 000008 from "Narrative of the Chinese Embassy to the Khan of the Tourgouth Tartars in the years 1712, 13, 14 & 15; by the Chinese Ambassador (Tu-li-Shin) and published by the... more

ship from "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]"

This image has been taken from scan 000493 from volume 02 of "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]". The title and subject terms of this image have been generated from tags, created by users of the Bri... more

Isfahan from "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]"

This image has been taken from scan 000555 from volume 01 of "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]". The title and subject terms of this image have been generated from tags, created by users of the Bri... more

Shiraz from "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]"

This image has been taken from scan 000479 from volume 02 of "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]". The title and subject terms of this image have been generated from tags, created by users of the Bri... more

Zoroastrian from "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]"

This image has been taken from scan 000565 from volume 01 of "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]". The title and subject terms of this image have been generated from tags, created by users of the Bri... more

Muscat from "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]"

This image has been taken from scan 000495 from volume 02 of "[Travels in Assyria, Media, and Persia, etc.]". The title and subject terms of this image have been generated from tags, created by users of the Bri... more