Persian cats unsurprisingly originated from the highlands of Iran. They are one of the oldest cat breeds in existence and in response to the freezing cold temperatures in the Iranian mountains, developed the ability to grow long and luxurious silky fur.
They were brought over to Europe by Italian merchants in the 17th century and quickly became an exotic status symbol. Centuries later, Persian cats are still one of the most popular cat breeds in the world due to their doll-faced good looks.
Nose Job Capital of the World
Although it is hard to believe, Iran holds the highest rate of cosmetic nose surgeries per capita in the entire world. Part of the reason actually stems from the dress restriction which requires women to wear a hijab, making the face the main physical component on display, but nose jobs are not all about beauty.
In Iran, nose jobs are considered a status symbol. Even the fact that you have had one marks you as wealthy because you could afford it. That is the reason many patients leave their recovery bandages on longer than strictly necessary. There have even been cases in which people have sported fakes!
Name Change
The country of Iran was commonly known as Persia until Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran between the years 1925 to 1941, decided that the country should be renamed Iran. He made the announcement in 1935 on the day of the Iranian New Year, also known as Nowruz.
The name was changed again in 1979 and the country then became known as the Islamic Republic of Iran. That change took place after the Iranian Revolution which was led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Religious clerics overthrew the monarchy and assumed political power.
They Will Rock You
Heavy metal has become very popular all over Iran, but especially in the capital city of Tehran. It may seem hard to believe, but the genre has been steadily gathering supporters for the past three decades with the emergence of new Iranian blues and rock musicians.
Although heavy metal is banned in Iran because authorities believe it is a symbol of the underground music scene, fans have come to know it from music festivals in neighboring countries like Georgia. The Iranians have embraced the music and believe it promotes love and unity. These days, all types of music can be found in the country, including jazz, pop, and even hip hop.
A Meeting of Cultures
Although 98% of the population in Iran are practicing Muslims, not all of them share exactly the same beliefs. 89% identify as Shia Muslims and the other 9% as Sunni Muslims. In the past, Sunni Muslims were forced to convert, but currently, Iranian law allows for religious freedom in the country, as long as it does not break any laws.
The remaining 2% of the country mostly practice religions like Christianity, Baha’i Zoroastrianism and Judaism. And although there is not much diversity in religious beliefs, there are a variety of ethnicities. Iran is populated by Iranians (61%), Azeri, (16%), Kurds (10%), Lur (6%), Baloch (2%), Arabs (2%), Turkmen and Turkic tribes (2%).