{"id":43739,"date":"2020-09-02T07:43:44","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T07:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/?p=43739"},"modified":"2026-01-27T14:31:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T14:31:20","slug":"the-people-of-iran-ethnicities-and-cultures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/surfiran.com\/mag\/the-people-of-iran-ethnicities-and-cultures\/","title":{"rendered":"The People of Iran: Ethnicities and Cultures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

People of Persian descent make up roughly 50 percent of Iran\u2019s population, yet many other ethnic groups, including Azaris, Armenians, Assyrians, and Jews, have settled on the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People of Persian descent make up roughly 50 percent of Iran\u2019s population, yet many other ethnic groups, including Azaris<\/strong>, Armenians<\/strong>, Assyrians<\/strong>, and Jews<\/strong>, have settled on the land. Historically, many groups have had little contact with one another because large distances separated them. This has meant that the groups have been able to retain their languages and customs for hundreds, or even thousands, of years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persians are descendants of the first Aryan<\/a> settlers. They live mostly in the central desert plateau and in Iran\u2019s northern provinces. They speak Persian, which they call Farsi, and most are Shia Muslims. Their traditional dress varies by region, but men usually wear wide, loose pants, a long tunic, and a cap or large turban. Women\u2019s traditional dress includes wide, loose pants, a dress, a veil, and often a shawl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Persian men<\/a> usually wear western-style clothing, as do women beneath their rouposh or chador.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkmens<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Turkmens\"
Nearly two million Turkmens can be found living along the northern edges of Iran, just south of the Turkmenistan-Iran border. For centuries, Turkmens lived as nomadic herdsmen. In more recent years, however, many of them have changed to a “semi-nomadic lifestyle,” living in permanent homes as well as in tents.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Two percent of Iran\u2019s population belongs to a Turkic people known as Turkmen. Most Turkmen live in the north and northeast, near the Republic of Turkmenistan, and speak a language that is also called Turkmen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority live in cities, yet rural Turkmen tribes still flourish in Iran. Many rural Turks are known for their great horseback riding skills. They ride Turkmen horses<\/a>, which are famous for their endurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kurds<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\"Kurds
Kurds in Iran are the third largest ethnic group in Iran after Persians and Iranian Azerbaijanis, comprising about 10% of the country’s population.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

There are approximately six million Kurds in Iran, making up seven percent of the population. Kurds live along the western border, in the Zagros Mountains, and share a common culture with the Kurds in neighboring Turkey and Iraq.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A traditionally nomadic people, some Kurds still live in the countryside where they work as farmers. Most have settled in cities, which have become crowded with refugees from neighboring countries. Iranian Kurds speak Kurdish as well as Persian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority are Sunni Muslims, but many also practice Sufism, a mystical form of Islam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n