Culture

Ethnicities of Iran

A mosaic of peoples, languages, dress and music across the Iranian plateau — from the Caspian shore to the Persian Gulf.

12 entries

The Kurds — An ancient Iranian people inhabiting the mountainous Zagros region, known for their rich musical heritage, epic poetry, and vibrant traditional clothing.

The Turkmen — Inhabiting the vast plains of Golestan and Sahra, the Turkmen are famous for their world-renowned carpet weaving skills and horse-breeding traditions.

The Persians — Speakers of Persian across the cities and villages of the central plateau, from Fars to Khorasan.

The Azerbaijanis — Iran's largest Turkic-speaking people, centred on Tabriz, with a long tradition of music, trade and political life.

The Lurs & Bakhtiari — Mountain peoples of the Zagros, among them the Bakhtiari, whose spring and autumn migrations cross the high passes.

The Baloch — A people of the southeast, from the deserts of Sistan to the Makran coast, famed for their needlework.

The Arabs of Khuzestan — Arabic-speaking Iranians of the southwest, living along the Karun river and the head of the Persian Gulf.

The Gilaks & Mazanderanis — Peoples of the green Caspian lowlands, between the Alborz forests and the sea: rice, tea, silk and fish.

The Qashqai — A Turkic-speaking confederation of nomads of Fars, known for their weaving and their seasonal migrations.

The Armenians of Iran — A Christian community with deep roots, best known for New Julfa in Isfahan and its Vank Cathedral.

The Assyrians of Iran — An ancient Christian people of the Urmia plain who speak a modern Aramaic language.

The People of the Persian Gulf Coast — Port-dwellers and islanders of Hormozgan and Bushehr, seafarers with their own music, dress and dances.