Everything You Wanted to Know About Iran

Lecture: "Iran: Everything You Wanted to Know About Iran but Were Afraid to Ask"

Today, Iran is one of the most discussed countries in the world. It is constantly in the news: sanctions, protests, nuclear program, conflicts in the Middle East. Yet, Iran remains one of the least understood and most closed countries for outside observers.

Why does a country that has gifted the world the poetry of Hafiz and Ferdowsi, the luxurious architecture of Isfahan, and one of the oldest cultures on the planet today primarily associate with political crises? To understand this, it is important to look at Iran from a broader perspective — through the lens of its history, culture, and religion.

In the lecture, we will discuss:
- Why was Iran previously called Persia — and is it even correct to use this name?
- Who are the Iranians and how many different Iranian peoples actually exist?
- How did Iran become a Muslim country — and why did it retain its own cultural identity in the process?
- Why is modern Iran structured the way it is and how does it differ from other countries in the Middle East?
- How do Iranians live — and how do they perceive what is happening around their country?

The lecture will help to see Iran not just as a subject of political news but as a complex, contradictory, and extremely interesting civilization.

Lecturer:
Mikhail Grachev — Iranologist, art historian, PhD candidate at the University of Vienna, former curator of the State Hermitage Museum.