Iran

One of the four newly translated cuneiform tablets

Newly Deciphered, 4,000-Year-Old Cuneiform Tablets Used Lunar Eclipses to Predict Major Events

Ancient Babylonians linked astronomical phenomena to pestilence, the death of kings and the destruction of empires

Shade-protecting overhangs known as awnings line a street in New York City in the 1850s.

Six Innovative Ways Humans Have Kept Cool Throughout History

From sleeping porches to coastal escapes, these tips and tricks helped people deal with extreme heat before the advent of air-conditioning

Rania Matar, Farah, 2020

This Woman-Led Photography Exhibition Showcases the Diversity of Middle Eastern Femininity

The Middle East Institute show, "Louder Than Hearts," explores portraits of Arab and Iranian women through the lens of ten celebrated female artists

The three-panel artwork depicts a javelin thrower, a skateboarder and a break dancer.

See a Tapestry Commissioned to Celebrate the Paris Summer Olympics

Designed by artist Marjane Satrapi, the enormous triptych depicts athletes competing around the Eiffel Tower

The ancient red pigment was held in an intricately decorated chlorite vial.

Tube of Ancient Red Lipstick Unearthed in Iran

New research suggests the nearly 4,000-year-old cosmetic may be among the oldest discoveries of its kind

A European depiction of Hasan Sabbah, an 11th-century leader of the Nizari Ismailis, and his followers in a garden paradise

The Medieval Sect That Inspired the Video Game 'Assassin's Creed'

The Order of Assassins is loosely based on the Nizari Ismailis, who formed a Shiite Muslim state that relied on political assassination to achieve its goal

Narges Mohammadi, pictured here in April 2021, won the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize for advocating for women's rights in Iran.

Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Iranian Rights Activist Narges Mohammadi

Mohammadi, who is currently in prison, is at the forefront of the fight against oppression in Iran

Swahili people maintained matrilineal family burial gardens such as this one in Faza, Kenya.

Ancient DNA Confirms the Origin Story of the Swahili People

Medieval individuals in the coastal East African civilization had almost equal parts African and Asian ancestry, a new study finds

Replicating the last leg of French explorer Alexandra David-Néel’s journey in the early 1900s, Elise Wortley hiked 108 miles from Lachen, in Sikkim, India, to Kanchenjunga base camp in 2017.

Adventurer Elise Wortley Recreates the Journeys of Famous Female Explorers

For historical accuracy, the 33-year-old Brit wears only the cotton dresses, yak wool coats and hobnail boots that her predecessors would have had

First lady Jill Biden presenting the Best Song For Social Change award to singer Shervin Hajipour

Iranian Protest Anthem That Led to Singer's Arrest Wins a Grammy

First lady Jill Biden presented the inaugural Best Song For Social Change award

Acclaimed director Jafar Panahi was arrested after asking about the arrests of two fellow filmmakers.

Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Released From Prison After Declaring Hunger Strike

The renowned filmmaker had been arrested in July when authorities reactivated a 2010 sentence

Salman Rushdie's latest book, Victory City, will be released on February 7.

In Salman Rushdie's New Book, Stories Outlive Tyrants

'Victory City' comes just six months after the author survived a violent attack at a speaking event

Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti was welcomed by friends and colleagues on Wednesday after being released from prison on bail.

Iran Releases Taraneh Alidoosti, the Famous Actress Arrested for Supporting Protests

Alidoosti had criticized Iran's brutal crackdown on protests following the death of Mahsa Amini

Taraneh Alidoosti, one of Iran's most famous actresses, voiced support for anti-government protests on Instagram.

Iran Arrests One of Its Most Famous Actresses

Taraneh Alidoosti was detained after criticizing the government’s execution of a protester

Protesters in Beijing hold up white sheets of paper during a November 27 protest against China's strict zero-Covid policy.

A Brief History of Silent Protests

Activists in China are using blank sheets of paper to speak out against the country's draconian zero-Covid policies

Shirin Neshat's Offered Eyes

Public Art Installation Opens in Solidarity With Iranian Protesters

"Eyes on Iran," located in a public park on Roosevelt Island, faces the United Nations across the water

The poster for "Habibi, Love's Revolutions" features art by Alireza Shojaian.

How 23 Artists Explore Queerness in the Arab World

"Habibi, Love's Revolutions" reflects on LGBTQ experiences and identities

“This homage is a call for action to support the current revolution in Iran, led by brave Iranian women risking their lives to stand up against oppression to overthrow a longtime authoritarian regime,” the Anonymous Artist Collective for Iran says.

Iranian Artists Stage Anonymous Protest at the Guggenheim Museum

The group draped red banners across four floors in support of the protests gathering momentum in Iran

Outisde of the Artists Forum at Tehran's Honarmandan Park, an anonymous activist dyed a fountain blood red.

Tehran's Fountains Turn Blood Red in Anonymous Protest Art

Iranians are using art to challenge the government's "morality police" and violent crackdowns following the death of Mahsa Amini

Bakhtiari nomads in the Zagros Mountains of Iran in June 2017

How Nomads Shaped Centuries of Civilization

A new book celebrates the achievements of wanderers, whose stories have long been overlooked

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