Top 10 Iran facts

Kiosk. A kiosk (from Turkish köşk) is an open summer-house or pavilion usually having its roof supported by pillars with screened or totally open walls. As a building type, it was first introduced by the Seljuks as a small building attached to the main mosque, which consisted of a domed hall with open arched sides.

Tomyris was a Massagetean ruler who reigned over the Massagetae, an Iranian people from Scythian pastoral-nomadic confederation of Central Asia east of the Caspian Sea. Tomyris led her armies to defend against an attack by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid Empire, and, according to Herodotus, defeated and killed him in 530 BC. The names of Tomyris, and her son Spargapises, who was the head of her army, are of Iranian origins.

To ritual exposure of the dead. The Zoroastrians used the Towers of Silence as open burial pits, placing their deceased relatives in rows so their bodies would be feasted upon by birds of prey, usually vultures. The doctrinal rationale for exposure is to avoid contact with Earth or Fire, both of which are considered sacred in the Zoroastrian religion. Contaminating the elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water) with decaying matter such as a corpse is considered sacrilege. Orthodox Zoroastrians continued to maintain a tower until the 1970s when ritual exposure was prohibited by law.

Tehran. From the 1920s to 1930s, the city was essentially rebuilt from scratch, under the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi. In an attempt to modernize the city, many historic buildings, fortifications and gardens were demolished, and modern buildings in pre-Islamic Iranian style (such as National Bank) were built in their place.

Persian. About 53% of Iranians speak Persian. The language is ancient - the oldest written texts in Old Persian are from from the Behistun Inscription (UNESCO World Heritage Site) from 5th century BC.

Zoroastrianism. In Zoroastrianism, water (apo, aban) and fire (atar, azar) are agents of ritual purity, and the associated purification ceremonies are considered the basis of ritual life. Both water and fire are considered life-sustaining, and are represented within the precinct of a fire temple.

All mentioned. Person of the Year is an annual issue of the United States news magazine Time that features and profiles a person, a group, an idea, or an object that "for better or for worse... has done the most to influence the events of the year". Adolf Hitler was elected in 1938, and Stalin twice: in 1939 and in 1942.

Qeshm, formerly also known as Kishm, is an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, separated from the mainland by the Clarence Strait/Khuran in the Persian Gulf (26°50′N 56°0′E). It is the largest island in Iran. Fishing is a leading occupation practiced by the inhabitants of the island. Earliest evidence of human presence at Qeshm dates back to Paleolithic Period.

Azerbaijan borders Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and Iran.

Blue. The color blue in many cultures is significant in religious beliefs, brings peace, or is believed to keep the bad spirits away. In Iran, blue is the color of mourning while in the West the something blue bridal tradition represents love