Persepolis

In the context of Iran, “Aryan,” derived from “Ayryana Vaejo” or “origin of the Aryans,” refers to a semi-nomadic people who lived on the Iranian plateau in the second millennium B.C.E. The name “Iran” originates from “Aryan.”

Colloquially, the people of Iran simply refer to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi—the son of Reza Shah—as “the shah.” The shah’s father tried to modernize Iran but fell out of favor with European countries after remaining neutral during World War II. He was the dethroned during the Islamic Revolution.

Chador is a large piece of cloth that covers a woman’s face and body. This is worn by Muslim women in Iran, and after the revolution women were forced to wear them while out in public.