Learn about the history and culture of Persia , one of the oldest inhabited regions in the world, from the Paleolithic Age to the Muslim conquest. Explore the rise and fall of the Persian empires, the religion of Zoroastrianism, and the legacy of Persia in world civilization. Where is Persia Located? The name Persia , in modern usage, is a reference to the Islamic Republic of Iran. The names Persia and Iran are often used interchangeably. In 1935, the Iranian government asked the world to call the country “Iran” instead of “ Persia .” Iran is located in western Asia. Ancient Iran , historic region of southwestern Asia that is only roughly coterminous with modern Iran. The term Persia was used for centuries, chiefly in the West, to designate those regions where Persian language and culture predominated, but it more correctly refers to a region of southern Iran Ancient Persia , an introduction by Senta German The heart of ancient Persia is in what is now southwest Iran, in the region called the Fars. In the second half of the 6th century BCE, the Persians (also called the Achaemenids) created an enormous empire reaching from the Indus Valley to Northern Greece and from Central Asia to Egypt. Figure 6 6 1: The Persian Empire, 490 BCE. (Map via Smarthistory)
