00:00Empires rose and disappeared. Dynasties changed. Cities were destroyed and rebuilt.
00:05But the story of Iran continued.
00:07From ancient Persia through monumental empires, golden ages of knowledge, to a modern nation, this is Iran.
00:16More than 25 centuries ago, on the Iranian plateau, a civilization was rising that would change.
00:24Under Cyrus the Great, Persia began its extraordinary rise, bringing different peoples and territories together.
00:30Under one powerful empire.
00:40An enormous empire now connected lands, cultures and peoples across three continents.
00:48And at its heart, a magnificent royal capital was rising from the Persian landscape.
00:56Persepolis became a symbol of Persian wealth.
01:00It showed incredible power and imperial ambition.
01:03People from across the empire came here, bringing languages, traditions and treasures from distant lands.
01:12But the great Persian empire eventually faced a powerful new conqueror.
01:16Alexander's invasion brought the Achaemenid era to an end.
01:27In 224 AD, another powerful Persian dynasty emerged, the Sassanian Empire.
01:36Ctesiphon became one of the greatest cities of its age, while Persian culture flourished across the region.
01:45Persia stood at the center of trade routes, linking Asia, the Middle East and the wider world.
01:51Then, in the 7th century, the Arab conquest transformed Persia and introduced a new chapter in its history.
01:59Yet Persian culture continued to thrive, contributing enormously to science, medicine, mathematics and literature.
02:08Persia became a major language of literature and scholarship, carrying the region's cultural influence far beyond its borders.
02:16But Persia would face another devastating transformation when the Mongol invasions swept across the region.
02:24Despite enormous destruction, Persian civilization survived and gradually rebuilt itself.
02:31In the 16th century, the Safavids created a new Persian state that would shape Iran for centuries.
02:40Isfahan was transformed into one of the most beautiful cities of the Islamic world.
02:47Grand squares, intricate tiles, gardens and monumental buildings reflected the wealth and artistic brilliance of Safavid Iran.
02:55By the 19th century, Iran entered another era of political change, with Tehran emerging as the country's dominant capital.
03:04Tehran remained deeply traditional, even as the outside world was rapidly changing.
03:12The Constitutional revolution marked a major turning point in Iran's political history.
03:20The 20th century brought rapid modernization, changing Iran's cities, infrastructure and society.
03:29Tehran began evolving from a historic capital into a modern urban center.
03:36New roads, industries, and expanding cities accelerated Iran's transformation.
03:44By the 1960s, the pace of modernization had become impossible to ignore.
03:51Then came 1979.
03:54A revolution transformed Iran's political system and changed the country's direction.
04:00Only a year later, Iran entered a devastating eight-year war.
04:09When the war ended, Iran faced the enormous task of rebuilding.
04:16The 1990s brought reconstruction, urban expansion, and a new wave of development.
04:24Iran entered the new millennium with rapidly changing cities, and a population increasingly connected to modern technology.
04:32Across Iran, ancient monuments stood beside modern cities, creating a striking connection between past and...
04:41Tehran became one of the region's largest and most complex metropolitan areas.
04:49Yet beyond its politics, Iran remained a society shaped by deep traditions, family, art, language.
04:56Today, Iran is a country where thousands of years of history exist alongside modern urban life.
05:03From Persepolis to Isfahan, from ancient trade routes to modern highways, every era has left its mark.
05:11Transformation shaped this land.
05:14Persia became Iran.
05:16Empires became memories.
