10 Interesting Facts about Iran You Probably Didn’t Know

 

1. For over 2,500 years Iranians have been known for their beautiful and masterfully woven rugs. However, when Iranian weavers are working on a rug, it is not uncommon for them to intentionally make a single mistake. The idea behind the mistake is to demonstrate their belief that “only God is perfect.” Interestingly, woven carpets are Iran’s second largest export – second only to oil.

2. The Iranian flag of today was first adopted in 1980. It is recognizable by its equal sized horizontal stripes of green, white, and red. In Islam, the color green is meant to represent growth, white is a symbol for peace and honesty, while red is meant to symbolize martyrdom and bravery. There is a stylized version of the phrase “none is worthy of worship but Allah” (La ilaha illa Allah) in the shape of a tulip, and a stylized version of the word “Allah” in the center of the white stripe. There are also twenty two copies of the phrase Allahu Akbar, or “God is great,” found along the inside edges of the red and green stripes.

3. During the Shah’s regime, American pornographic magazines such as Penthouse could be easily purchased and were a common site to see lying around a person’s home. Khomeini banned depictions of naked bodies or pornography of any kind; however, pornography can still be purchased within the country. The Iranian Parliament approved a 1993 legislation that made it so “principle promoters” of pornography were eligible for the death penalty.

4. The constitution of Iran states that women are to be considered as only mothers or homemakers. The only way a woman can work outside of their home is if they get permission from the male head of their household. Schools are also segregated by gender by the government and, in college, there certain subjects that women are banned from studying. The only time a woman is allowed to appear in public is if she is accompanied by her husband or a male family member and men and women must sit separately while riding a public bus.

5. Even though homosexual relationships are outlawed in Iran, Khomeini set down a law allowing transsexuals to undergo sex change operations. Surprisingly, since 2008, Iran has had the second highest number of sex change operations of any country in the world (Thailand is the highest). Even more surprising is that the government supplies financial assistance to transsexuals looking to undergo a sex change procedure.

6. Half of the Caspian Sea caviar market is controlled by the country of Iran. The Caspian beluga sturgeon’s eggs are worth up to $160 an ounce. The beluga sturgeon is an ancient creature, having been around during the age of dinosaurs. They can also live to be up to 100 years. However, they are quickly depleting in number and some environmentalists feel that the caviar trade is a major factor.

7. Salman Rushdie, the author of a book called The Satanic Verses, had a $3 million dollar price placed on his head by an Iranian organization. The Satanic Verses claims that there are certain verses in the Koran that might not have been actual revelations from God. His highly controversial argument is that the devil, while incognito, tricked the prophet Mohammed into thinking his false revelations were true.

8. When a woman has been the victim of a rape, police have the authority to force the perpetrating man into marrying her. This authority does not take the woman’s consent into account. However, the man can divorce her right away. A divorced woman has a better chance of marrying than a girl who has lost her virginity before marriage.

9. The country of Iran is actually officially known as the Islamic Republic of Iran. In 1979, the monarchy was crushed and Islamic clerics took over the power of the country under the direction and authority of the supreme leader Khomeini.

10. Iran is listed as a hub of human trafficking by the U.S. Department of State along with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea. There appears to be little that the Iranian government has done to stop trafficking in their country. It is not uncommon that a girl who has been a victim of trafficking is severely