What to read, watch and listen to when learning about Iran

Iran appears on numerous travel advisories as a destination where travel is not recommended. Fortunately, we can connect with its rich culture through the nation's books, poetry and music. Iranian cinema is huge too, and offers a wonderful way to understand more about the country. Here's our pick of what to read, watch and listen to for an understanding of Iran's history, modern-day life and people.

What to read about Iran

Shahnamah (translated as Book of Kings) (Ferdosi; 1010): Ferdosi is remembered primarily for this poem which took 33 years to write and included almost 60,000 couplets. He is seen as the savior of Farsi that he wrote in at a time when the language was under threat from Arabic. Without his writing many details of Persian history and culture might also have been lost and Ferdosi is credited with having done much to help shape the Iranian self-image. Poetry in Iran is huge. Streets, squares, hotels and teahouses are named after famous poets, several of whom have large mausoleums that are popular pilgrimage sites such as the Aramgah-e Hafez, Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz.

Divan-e Hafez (Hafez; first page of the manuscript was published in 1899): This can be found in almost every home in Iran, and many of Hafez’s verses are used as proverbs to this day. Hafez’s poetry has a strong mystical quality. 

Rubaiyat (Omar Khayyam; translation published in 1859): The book was later translated into English by Edward Fitzgerald, making Khayyam probably the best known Iranian poet in the West. In Iran, he is more famous as a mathematician, historian and astronomer. 

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Marjane Satrapi; published in two volumes in 2000 and 2001): Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel is about growing up through the revolution and the formation of the Islamic Republic. It’s compelling, funny and, ultimately, heartrendingly sad. The movie version, Persepolis, was released in 2007.

The Blind Owl (Sadeq Hedayat; 1937): A dark and powerful portrayal of the decadence of a society failing to achieve its own modernity. Hedayat is the best-known Iranian novelist outside of Iran.

My Uncle Napoleon (Iraj Pezeshkzad; 1973): A tale about love and Iranian society in the 1940s. This was later made into a television series.

Savushun (Simin Daneshvar; 1969): A novel about a family in Shiraz during the occupation of WWII. The book is about Zari, who is a young mother and wife. A groundbreaking success, it has been translated into over 15 languages.

What to watch about Iran

A Separation (Asghar Farhadi; 2011): The 2012 winner of the Academy Award for best foreign language film and nominee for best original screenplay, in which director Asghar Farhadi looks at a Tehran couple’s dissolving marriage and how the hiring of a carer for an ill parent complicates matters further.

Gabbeh (Mohsen Makhmalbaf; 1996): A couple wash their traditional Persian carpet, gabbeh, revealing a picture of a woman woven into its design. Viewers follow her story.

Children of Heaven (Majid Majidi; 1997): The film was nominated for the best foreign language film Oscar in 1998. It is a delicate tale focusing on two children from a lower income background losing a pair of shoes. 

The White Balloon (Jafar Panahi; 1995): Written by Abbas Kiarostami and directed by Jafar Panahi, the film tells the story of a young girl who loses her money while on the way to buy a goldfish. The film won several international awards.

The Salesman (Asghar Farhadi; 2016): A couple’s world turns upside down when an unwanted visitor linked to the previous tenant of their home shows up at their apartment. A violent incident occurs and leads to the husband wanting to seek justice. The film won the Best International Feature Film at the 2017 Academy Awards and the Best Foreign Language film at the 2017 Oscars.  

Seed of the Sacred Fig (Mohammad Rasoulof; 2024): Set in Tehran amongst unrest on the streets, a newly appointed judge starts to become paranoid. He loses his gun and it makes him distrust everyone around him, even his own family. It was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize.

What music to listen to about Iran

Classical music: Shajarian and Shahram Naziri are musicians who have both helped promote interest in classical Persian music internationally. Classical Persian music is hugely popular and can be heard in taxis and teahouses across the country.

Rock and rap scene: This is mainly underground but a steadily growing number of bands and musicians are finding a Persian way to rock. Groups such as O-Hum set the scene with "Persian rock," a mix of familiar and Iranian instruments and the poetic lyrics of Hafez and Rumi. The result is like ‘90s grunge rock with an Iranian flavor. Other popular rock acts include Barad, Meera, Hypernova, Niyaz and Mohsen Namjoo.

Man Amadeh-Am (Googoosh; 1975): An Iranian icon, the ‘70s superstar now resides in Los Angeles, or Tehrangeles as the city is also known, as the place where the most Iranians reside outside of Iran. Googoosh recently collaborated with Ed Sheeran.

Azizam (Ed Sheeran; 2025): Ed is not Iranian of course, however his track "Azizam", meaning "my dear" in Farsi, made the world see Iran through a different lens. The music video shows what Iranian parties can be like, full of music, dancing, and of course, lots of food. Many popular Iranian artists were also involved such as Googoosh and Andy.