In the consciousness of the average Greek reader, Iran is often associated with the "troubled" geographical region of the Middle East. Beyond its ancient history, mainly linked to ancient Persia and its great kings, little is known about a country that, for millennia, has been a key factor not only for the wider region but also for global history.

At the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Iran played a decisive role in the political, cultural, and economic developments of the last four thousand years. From ancient Iranian traditions and archaeological findings that attest to the depth of its historical continuity to the great achievements of its civilization, Iran boasts an impressive heritage that influenced the course of world history: in sciences and astronomy, literature and poetry, philosophy, and technology.

This book presents an overview of Iranian history, dividing it into two periods: pre-Islamic and post-Islamic. The first part examines the key milestones of ancient Persia and the great dynasties of the pre-Islamic era: the Medes, the Achaemenids, the successors of Alexander, the Parthians, and the Sassanids.

The second part focuses on the history of post-Islamic Iran and the dynasties that shaped its course: from the Abbasids and Tahirids to the Ghaznavids, the Mongol Ilkhanids, the Timurid dynasty, the Seljuk Turks, the Safavid, Qajar, and Pahlavi dynasties, up to the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The book concludes with a concise yet substantive examination of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, analyzing the economic, political, military, and cultural factors that led to it. From Cyrus and Darius to the Shah and Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran has left an indelible mark on world history. On the pages of this book, the Greek reading public will get to know one of the oldest civilizations in the world.