Iranian is a national identity that includes people with many languages and cultural backgrounds. Persian is used across the country, alongside regional languages including Azerbaijani Turkish, Kurdish, Balochi, Arabic, Luri, Gilaki and Mazandarani. Language maps help explain this variety, but a language spoken at home does not determine how someone identifies.
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Persians and the Persian language
Persian belongs to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. Elamite was a distinct language of ancient southwestern Iran. The map below illustrates a hypothesis about language dispersal.
The Shahnameh and the poetry of Hafez and Saadi are prominent examples of Persian literature read by people of many backgrounds.
Persian is a common language in major cities such as Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, as well as in many multilingual communities. Speaking Persian does not necessarily mean identifying as ethnically Persian.
Azerbaijani (Azeris) and other Turkic people
Iranian Azerbaijanis are one of several communities in Iran that speak a Turkic language. Azerbaijani Turkish is particularly common in the northwest, including Tabriz, Ardabil and Zanjan.
Azerbaijani Turkish belongs to the Turkic language family. Persian belongs to the Iranian branch of Indo-European. The two languages have long been in contact and many speakers use both.
In the ashik tradition, singers accompany verse and storytelling on a long-necked lute.
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Other Turkic languages in Iran include Turkmen, spoken in parts of the northeast, and Qashqai, associated with communities in Fars and nearby areas of southern Iran.
Kurds from Iranian Kurdistan
Kurdish-speaking communities live on both sides of several national borders. In Iran, Kurdish varieties are spoken in western provinces including Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Ilam and West Azerbaijan. There are also Kurdish-speaking communities in northern Khorasan.
The cultural landscape of Hawraman, also called Uramanat, includes steep settlements and terraced land across Kurdistan and Kermanshah provinces. The Pir Shaliar observance is associated with Hawraman Takht.
Kurdish encompasses several varieties. Communities in the west differ in language use, religious traditions and local customs.
Baloch in Iran
Many Baloch communities in Iran live in Sistan and Baluchestan in the southeast. Balochi is also spoken across the borders in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
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Balochi is an Iranian language, distinct from Persian and Kurdish. Regional embroidery provides another way to learn about Baloch cultural traditions.
Arabs in Iran
Iranian Arab communities are especially associated with Khuzestan, including areas around Ahvaz, Abadan and Khorramshahr. Arabic also has a presence in communities elsewhere along the Persian Gulf.
Other ethnic groups in Iran
Luri varieties are spoken across parts of the western and southwestern Zagros. Gilaki and Mazandarani are associated with the southern Caspian region. Iran also has Armenian, Assyrian, Georgian and Mandaean communities, among others. Some names describe a language or regional identity, while others describe a religious community as well.
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Traditional Dress and Ways of Life
Clothing and crafts vary by town, occasion and generation. These examples offer a way to look at a garment or textile in context:
- Turkmen needlework decorates garments in both Iran and Turkmenistan. UNESCO documents its use across ages and genders.
- Bandari can refer to coastal communities and also names a dialect in Bandar Abbas. It does not mean Arab. The dialect includes Arabic loanwords, reflecting contact around the Gulf.
- Baloch embroidery is often used on clothing. When viewing a piece, ask where it was made and which parts of the garment it was designed to decorate.
