Iran trivia: 49 questions and answers

Tehran. Tehran has been the capital since 1786. Isfahan was the capital of the Safavid shahs, and Shiraz and Tabriz were capitals of earlier dynasties, but not today.

True. True. Reza Shah made the request in 1935. Iranians had long called their country Iran, while 'Persia' came through Greek from Pars, today's Fars province.

Persian (Farsi). Persian (Farsi) is the official language under the constitution. Azerbaijani Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic and other languages are also spoken in different regions.

Mount Damavand. Mount Damavand, 5,610 m, is a dormant volcano in the Alborz range northeast of Tehran, and the highest volcano in Asia.

The British Museum in London. The British Museum in London holds the cylinder, found in the ruins of Babylon in 1879. It has been lent to Iran and other countries for exhibitions.

Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great of Macedon took Persepolis in 330 BC. Xerxes was a Persian king who built at Persepolis, and Genghis Khan lived some 1,500 years later.

Ferdowsi. Ferdowsi finished the Shahnameh in 1010 after more than 30 years of work. Hafez and Saadi wrote lyric poems, and Omar Khayyam is famous for his quatrains.

Twelver Shia Islam. Ismail I made Twelver Shia Islam the official religion, and most Iranians are Shia Muslims to this day. Zoroastrianism had been the state religion of the Sasanians, a thousand years earlier.

False. False. In 1598 Shah Abbas moved his capital from Qazvin to Isfahan and filled it with mosques, palaces, gardens and bridges.

True. True. The Constitutional Revolution of 1905 to 1911 forced the Qajar shah to accept a constitution, and the first Majles, or parliament, met in 1906.

About eight years. About eight years: Iraq invaded in September 1980, and both sides accepted a UN ceasefire in August 1988.

The crispy crust of rice from the bottom of the pot. Tahdig means 'bottom of the pot': the crispy crust of rice from the bottom of the pot, the part everyone wants. The herb omelette is kuku sabzi, the drink is doogh and the bread is sangak.

Ghormeh sabzi. Ghormeh sabzi is the deep green herb stew, served over rice. Fesenjan is made with walnuts and pomegranate, abgoosht is a lamb and chickpea stew, and ash reshteh is a noodle soup.

Walnuts and pomegranate molasses. Walnuts and pomegranate molasses are cooked slowly with chicken or duck to make fesenjan, a dish for guests and celebrations.

True. True. Sangak is baked on hot pebbles, which leave dimples in the dough. Its name means 'little stone' or pebble.

A cold, salty yoghurt drink. Doogh is a cold, salty yoghurt drink with dried mint, sometimes fizzy. It is the classic drink with chelow kabab.

False. False. Sabzi polo ba mahi is the traditional lunch at Nowruz, the Persian New Year in March. On Yalda Night families eat pomegranates, watermelon and nuts.

The stoneware pot it is cooked and served in. A dizi is the stoneware pot it is cooked and served in. You pour off the broth over bread first, then mash the meat and vegetables.

Shiraz. Shiraz is famous for faloodeh Shirazi, served with lime juice. It is now sold in ice cream shops all over Iran.

Tea. Tea is offered first, and again after the meal. Alcohol is not served in restaurants or cafés.

Yazd. Yazd is known for its windcatchers, towers that cool the houses. Rasht is rainy and green, and Tabriz and Hamadan lie in the cooler northwest and west.

Hamadan. Hamadan grew on the site of Ecbatana. Its ancient mound, Hegmataneh, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024.

Persepolis. Persepolis, near Shiraz, was begun around 518 BC. Pasargadae was the earlier capital of Cyrus the Great.

True. True. The simple stone tomb of Cyrus stands on six steps in the open plain at Pasargadae, northeast of Shiraz.

Isfahan. Naqsh-e Jahan Square is in Isfahan. Shah Abbas began it in 1598, when he made Isfahan his capital.

Bridge of thirty-three spans. Si-o-se-pol means 'bridge of thirty-three spans'. It crosses the Zayanderud river in Isfahan.

False. False. The Tomb of Hafez is in Shiraz, the poet's home city, in a garden where people come to recite his poems.

Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque. The Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque in Shiraz was completed in 1888. The Shah Mosque is in Isfahan, and the others are in Yazd and Tabriz.

The Persian Garden. The Fin Garden is one of nine historic gardens that together form the UNESCO site The Persian Garden, listed in 2011.

True. True. The Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex was inscribed in 2010. It grew rich as a stop on the Silk Road.

85 to 90 percent. Iran grows 85 to 90 percent of the world's saffron, most of it in Razavi Khorasan and South Khorasan provinces.

The Lut Desert in Iran. The Lut Desert in Iran: its sand has been measured at 70.7 °C. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.

True. True. Nowruz begins at the moment of the March equinox, and Iran's official calendar starts its new year then as well.

Hafez. Hafez, the 14th-century poet of Shiraz, is read on Yalda Night, and many families keep a copy of his poems at home.

About 50,000. About 50,000 couplets, which took Ferdowsi more than 30 years to write.

True. True. Polo grew out of chovgan, an ancient Persian horseback game, and the shahs watched matches from the Ali Qapu balcony.

False. False. As of September 2026, Iran has 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Persepolis, Naqsh-e Jahan Square and the Lut Desert.

Bread. 'Nân' means bread, as in nân-e sangak. Water is 'âb', tea is 'chây' and rice is 'berenj'.

Market. 'Bâzâr' means market. Garden is 'bâgh', street is 'khiâbân' and mosque is 'masjed'.

False. False. Persian is written from right to left, in a form of the Arabic script with a few extra letters.

mersi. 'Mersi', borrowed from French, is an everyday word for thanks. 'Salâm' is hello, 'bale' is yes and 'lotfan' is please.

Enjoy your meal. 'Nush-e jân' means enjoy your meal: it is said to someone who is eating, or when serving food.

In chande?. 'In chande?' asks the price. The others mean 'Where is the toilet?', 'What is your name?' and 'How are you?'.

True. True. It thanks someone for the work of their hands, such as cooking a meal, and is often said to a host.

Foreign bank cards do not work in Iran. Because of sanctions, foreign bank cards do not work in Iran, so visitors bring cash and change it at official exchange offices.

False. False. Alcohol is illegal for visitors to Iran, including foreign tourists, and penalties are severe.

A headscarf covering the hair. Women must wear a headscarf covering the hair and loose, long-sleeved clothes in public, and a chador may be needed at shrines.

Offer to pay again, as it is polite taarof. Offer to pay again, as it is polite taarof: the driver expects you to insist, and will then accept the fare.

It advises against all travel to Iran. It advises against all travel to Iran, as of September 2026, because of the conflict, the risk of detention and sudden airspace closures. Other governments give similar warnings, so always check your own government's current advice.