The Persian civilization is one of the oldest and most influential in history. Its origins date back to the 6th century BC, when Cyrus the Great established the Achaemenid Empire, and later the Sassanids strengthened Persian culture, architecture, and governance. After the Arab conquest in the 7th century, the Persian language, poetry (Firdausi, Rumi, Hafez), philosophy, and customs did not disappear but were melted into Islamic culture, enriching it. Today, many peoples and countries, from Iran to India, consider themselves inheritors of this great tradition. In this article, we will examine who exactly claims the Persian heritage and what it means today. Iran: the direct continuation of Persia Iran (the name "Persia" was used in the West until 1935) is the direct heir of the Persian civilization. The state language is Farsi (modern Persian), the script is Arabic, but the vocabulary and grammar have preserved the ancient foundation. Iranians celebrate Nowruz (the Persian New Year), honor classical poets, and Shi'ite Islam is closely intertwined with pre-Islamic traditions. The memory of the Achaemenid and Sassanid empires is part of the national consciousness. The mausoleum of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae is a place of pilgrimage. Even after the Islamic revolution of 1979, the Persian cultural code was not destroyed; it manifests itself in architecture, carpet weaving, miniature, and the manner of communication (taaruf). Iranians are proud that their civilization is older than the Greek and Roman ones. Tajikistan: guardians of the Persian language The Tajiks are the only Iranian-speaking people in Central Asia. Their language (Tajik) is essentially the same as Farsi but uses the Cyrillic alphabet. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan actively revives the Persian heritage: studying the works of Rudaki (the father of Persian poetry), Firdausi, Saadi. The tombs of Persian thinkers are located in Samarkand and Bukhara (now Uzbekistan), but the Taj ... Read more