Iran Heritage Foundation

Iran Heritage Foundation Non-political UK Charity (1001785)

For the past 30 years, the Iran Heritage Foundation has ensured Iran’s vibrant culture, history and language are wide-reaching and relevant on the Global stage. The Iran Heritage Foundation is a non-political UK registered charity with the mission to promote and preserve the history, languages and cultures of Iran and the Persianate world.

Alamut Castle📍Alamut region, Qazvin province ⛏️865 AD, the Justanids Situated on a colossal mountain 200 metres above th...
18/08/2026

Alamut Castle
📍Alamut region, Qazvin province
⛏️865 AD, the Justanids

Situated on a colossal mountain 200 metres above the valley floor, this ancient fortress is internationally renowned for its rich and turbulent history.

Alamut (literally 'eagle's nest') is a ruined fortress in Iran's Qazvin province, 130 miles from Tehran. Accessible only by a narrow, winding path, it is one of seven fortresses that formed one of medieval Iran's most sophisticated mountain defence networks across the Alborz valleys.

Archaeological studies have uncovered sophisticated water systems, ingenious fortifications, and strategic mountain architecture - innovations that enabled the fortress to withstand prolonged sieges. Historical accounts also describe it as a centre of learning, with a significant library and thriving scientific activity.

Most famously, it was the stronghold of the Nizari Ismaili state under Hasan-i Sabbah (1090–1124 AD), serving for nearly two centuries as its political, military, and intellectual centre. From here, Sabbah challenged Seljuk (1037-1194 AD) authority, and the fortress gained notoriety for the assassins.

Captured by the Mongols in 1256 (1219-1258), Alamut was partially destroyed and its library burned. It was later restored as a Safavid (1501-1736) prison until it was abandoned in the 18th century and gradually ruined by the elements and treasure-seekers.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2026, Alamut Castle and its six associated fortifications became Iran's 30th World Heritage Site – placing the nation tenth globally. These ancient fortifications offer a crucial insight into Iran’s diverse history.

Images via Aliazizollahi, Alireza Javaheri, Ninara, Elaheabed, Payampak, Ahmadrezarafati.



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

Last week more than 500 academics from across the globe converged in Utrecht, the Netherlands, for the Fifteenth Biennia...
13/08/2026

Last week more than 500 academics from across the globe converged in Utrecht, the Netherlands, for the Fifteenth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference.

The programme was richly varied, with talks spanning history, film, poetry and beyond, as we learned about new explorations of the Persianate world from antiquity to the present day. Thought-provoking discussions unfolded throughout the conference, offering fresh insights into the latest research shaping the field.

The Iran Heritage Foundation is proud to have supported this event, organised by the Association for Iranian Studies in collaboration with the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Utrecht University. This marks the third AIS conference that IHF has had the privilege of supporting, having previously sponsored the conferences in Istanbul and Vienna.

For over 35 years, we have championed the richness of Iranian culture and heritage – and supporting this conference was a natural extension of our mission.



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

The IHF Modern Iran Series is a new Open Access, peer-reviewed academic book series published by Bloomsbury Academic. Th...
30/07/2026

The IHF Modern Iran Series is a new Open Access, peer-reviewed academic book series published by Bloomsbury Academic. The Iran Heritage Foundation is proud to be supporting successful applicants by covering their Open Access publication costs.

The deadline for the third round of submissions is 31st August 2026.

To submit your proposal, please complete the form and forward it to Hassan Hakimian (Series Editor) and Rory Gormley (Senior Commissioning Editor at Bloomsbury Academic). The form and submission guidelines are available via this link: https://ihf.org.uk/call-for-book-proposals-ihf-modern-iran-series-june-2026/

The series publishes innovative Open Access books on modern and contemporary Iran. Covering the period from the late nineteenth century to the present day, it welcomes original scholarship across a broad range of subjects, including culture, society, politics, and economics.

We look forward to the publication of the forthcoming volumes and the fresh insights they will bring to the study of modern and contemporary Iran, further advancing our mission to promote and preserve Iran's rich cultural heritage.



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

Amordadgan is an ancient Iranian festival celebrating immortality, life and nature. Rooted in Zoroastrian tradition, thi...
28/07/2026

Amordadgan is an ancient Iranian festival celebrating immortality, life and nature.

Rooted in Zoroastrian tradition, this day is observed on the seventh of Mordad (July 29th) and is dedicated to the spirit Amordad. As the guardian of trees, plants and vegetation, Amordad embodies the forces of immortality and longevity. This duality is woven into her very name: while ‘Mordad’ signifies death, the prefixed ‘a’ transforms it into the opposite - eternal life.

A vibrant tribute to life, this festival honours nature's bounty - from water and plants to health and long life - through dance, feasting and outdoor revelry.

The Iran Heritage Foundation wishes you a joyful Amordadgan 🌱

Images via Tehran Times, Mahsa Safari, Phillip Maiwald, A.Davey, © The Trustees of the British Museum.



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

Inscription and Relief of Darius I at Bisotun📍Zagros Mountains, Kermanshah Province⛏️c.520 BC, the AchaemenidsMore than ...
24/07/2026

Inscription and Relief of Darius I at Bisotun
📍Zagros Mountains, Kermanshah Province
⛏️c.520 BC, the Achaemenids

More than 2,500 years old, this UNESCO-protected relief and inscription offer an essential insight into the rise to power of Darius I (522-486 BC).

Bisotun (literally "place of gods") features archaeological layers from prehistory to the Median, Sassanian, and Ilkhanid periods; however, the site is most renowned for its 15-metre-high and 25-metre-wide Achaemenid (550-330 BC) relief and monumental inscriptions.

Carved 60 metres high into the face of Mount Bisotun in the Zagros range, the relief portrays Darius holding a bow - a symbol of kingship - and planting his foot on the chest of a figure who lies on his back before him. According to legend, the figure represents Gaumata, the Median Magus and pretender to the throne whose assassination led to Darius's rise to power.

Surrounding the relief are approximately 1,200 lines of inscriptions chronicling Darius's wars against the governors who tried to tear apart the Achaemenid Empire (521-520 BC). Written in three cuneiform scripts - Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian - this trilingual text was deciphered in the 19th century. Like the Rosetta Stone, it provided the key to deciphering these ancient languages.

The inscription is arranged in three stages. The oldest portion, in Elamite, recounts the legends surrounding the king and the rebellions. This is followed by a Babylonian version of the same narratives. The final phase, however, is the most significant: here, in Old Persian, Darius first presents his personal account - the only known monumental text of the Achaemenids to document these events.

Standing at the heart of the Achaemenid period, this monument both inaugurates the era's distinctive art and unlocks Iran's ancient languages, bringing the past to light.

Images via Persian Dutch Network, Safa.daneshvar, Korosh.091, Elmju, KendallKDown, Encyclopaedia Iranica.



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

Today marks International Chess Day - a celebration of a game as deep in history as in strategy. Originating in India 1,...
20/07/2026

Today marks International Chess Day - a celebration of a game as deep in history as in strategy. Originating in India 1,500 years ago, chess was refined in Iran and went on to conquer the world.

Chess began as ‘chaturanga’ in 6th‑century India, reached Sasanian Iran (224-651 AD) where it became ‘chatrang’ and subsequently ‘shatranj’ after the Islamic conquest. From there it spread to Iberia, Portugal and Greece via Arabic - but across much of Europe, it was the Persian ‘Shah’ (‘king’) that left its mark, giving us check, chess and checkmate (from 'shah mat', usually understood as 'the king is defeated' or 'the king is helpless', though often popularly translated as 'the king is dead').

Ferdowsi's ‘Shahnameh’ (977-1010 AD) presents chess as an Indian diplomatic challenge - a test sent by a Raja to King Khosrow I. The Persians not only solved the game but devised ‘nard’ (backgammon) in return. When India failed to decipher it, they claimed victory. Legendary or not, this remains the first Iranian record of chess, and both games would endure as pillars of princely cultivation.

The poet Rumi (1207-1273) used chess imagery in his ‘Masnavi’ (1258-1273), with God as the ‘Chess Master’ of the world and human beings as the pieces. The first image above depicts Shams‑i Tabrizi playing chess in a manuscript of one of these poems (c.1500).

Among the images are the oldest known chess pieces - ivory from Samarkand (c.700 AD) and a glazed fritware set from Nishapur (12th century AD). These examples reveal the importance of chess in antiquity and its enduring status today as perhaps the world's most famous game. Millennia pass, but humanity endures.

Images via LAS30a and The MET.



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

The Iran Heritage Foundation is proud to announce its support for the Fifteenth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference, tak...
16/07/2026

The Iran Heritage Foundation is proud to announce its support for the Fifteenth Biennial Iranian Studies Conference, taking place at Utrecht University from August 5th to 8th.

For over 35 years, we have championed the richness of Iranian culture, safeguarding its historical depth and celebrating its enduring global influence.
This conference represents a vital convergence of scholarly minds, and we are honoured to facilitate the continued exploration of the Persianate world, from antiquity to the present day.

Through our Institutional Partnership Programme, we actively invest in the future of Iranian studies by funding fellowships and curatorships, publishing groundbreaking research, organising exhibitions and supporting both the performing and visual arts.

We look forward to the insights this gathering will create and remain steadfast in our mission to deepen global understanding of Iran’s extraordinary heritage.



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

Tirgan is an ancient Iranian midsummer festival that honours water, rain and the enduring legend of Arash Kamangir.Roote...
03/07/2026

Tirgan is an ancient Iranian midsummer festival that honours water, rain and the enduring legend of Arash Kamangir.

Rooted in Zoroastrian tradition, Tirgan falls on the 13th day of the month of Tir (4th July) and is dedicated to Tir, the divine spirit who descends from the heavens to summon thunder and lightning, bringing life-giving rain to the parched summer earth.

The story of Arash Kamangir, or Arash the Archer, is at the heart of the festival. This legendary Iranian hero was chosen to settle a border dispute between Iran and Turan. On the 13th day of Tir, he fired a single arrow from a mountaintop at the cost of his own life. The arrow flew for days and landed hundreds of miles away on the far bank of the Oxus River, marking the new border. Afterward, rain fell on both lands, ending Turan's drought and bringing peace between the kingdoms.

This folkloric tale is attested by the Khwarezmian scholar Al-Biruni (c. 973–1050 AD), who records that "by the order of God, the wind bore the arrow away from the mountains of Amol and brought it to the utmost frontier of Khorasan, between Fergana and Tapuria." A similar description is given by the historian Gardizi (11th century AD), though he notes that "the arrow of Arash fell in the area between Fargana and Bactria."

Today, Tirgan is celebrated with joyful Abpashi (water-splashing), dancing, poetry recitals and traditional dishes like sholezard (saffron rice pudding).

We weave colourful bracelets from seven threads of different colours, symbolising Arash's bow. Nine days later, on 'Wind Day' at the close of Tirgan (22nd of Tir), we ceremonially cast them into the wind and make a wish, releasing them as a tribute to Arash Kamangir.

The Iran Heritage Foundation wishes you a Tirgan full of peace🌿

Images via Rehyan, Safa.daneshvar, The Caspian Chef, © The Trustees of the British Museum, Tehran Times, Queensland Art Gallery.



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

Susa 📍Shush, Khuzestan Province⛏️4395-4200 BCOne of the region's oldest-known settlements, Susa has been continuously in...
01/07/2026

Susa
📍Shush, Khuzestan Province
⛏️4395-4200 BC

One of the region's oldest-known settlements, Susa has been continuously inhabited for more than 6,000 years:

- Susa I (4200-3800 BC): Nearly 2,000 geometrically decorated pots and 40 copper axes discovered at the site, reflect societal advancement.
- Susa II (3800-3100 BC): Expansion from small settlement to planned commercial hub; emergence of accounting tokens and seals.
- Susa III, or ‘Proto-Elamite’ (3100-2700 BC): Becomes a major Elamite urban centre; earliest Proto-Elamite tablets and seals reflect artistic and social development.
- Old Elamite (c.2700-1500 BC): Political and cultural capital of Elam; frequent conflict with Mesopotamia; use of Mesopotamian script.
- Indus-Susa trade (c.2400-2100 BC): Evidence of trade with the Indus Valley Civilisation shown by seals and carnelian beads.
- Middle Elamite (c.1500-1100 BC): Golden age; Susa becomes political and cultural heart of the Elamite Empire.
- Neo-Elamite (c.1100-540 BC): Political resurgence, conflict and eventual destruction of Susa.

Susa's ethnocultural shift came with Achaemenid rule (550-330 BC). The Palace of Darius (c.521-515 BC) cemented its status as winter capital. See the IHF publication The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia
https://amzn.eu/d/05gnTpJQ

A UNESCO site since 2015, Susa's ruins lie in modern Shush, bearing witness to Iran's enduring heritage and continuing to yield rich insights into the ancient past.

Images via Siren-Com, Rama, ALFGRN, Jastrow, Following Hadrian, Marco Prins,
© Musée du Louvre,



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

Ghalamkari | قلمکاری Ghalamkari is the traditional Iranian block-printing technique which uses carved wooden stamps and ...
26/06/2026

Ghalamkari | قلمکاری

Ghalamkari is the traditional Iranian block-printing technique which uses carved wooden stamps and natural pigments to produce intricate textile designs.

Etymologically, the word derives from the Persian ghalam ("pen") and kari ("craftsmanship"), reflecting its early phase in the Sasanian period (224–651 AD), when artisans hand-painted the motifs with a brush.

The craft peaked in Safavid Esfahan (1501–1736), thriving under royal favour and to keep pace with the demand from courtiers and kings, artisans introduced hand-carved wooden stamps (blocks) to speed up production. To this day, Esfahan remains at the heart of the craft.

Ghalamkari is defined by meticulous precision and natural materials:
- Fabric: High-quality cotton is the traditional base; linen and silk are rarer alternatives.
- Stamps: Pear wood blocks are hand-carved with intricate patterns such as paisleys, florals and geometric motifs. Each colour requires its own distinct stamp.
- Dyes: All colours are derived from plants and minerals. Red comes from flowers, yellow from pomegranate peels. The core palette consists of black, blue, red, green and yellow.
- Process: Stamps are pressed repeatedly onto the fabric to create patterns. The fabric is then washed and steamed to fix the dyes, before being laid out in the sun to dry.

Today, these textiles are woven into the fabric of everyday Iranian life as tablecloths, bedspreads and clothing. Each piece is a testament to a craft which has endured for generations.

Images via Iran Culture, Press TV Français,



The Iran Heritage Foundation promotes and protects the cultural heritage of Iran, ancient, medieval and modern.

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