Famous Iranian Men

Think of Iran and the first thing that runs your mind is social unrest, militancy, religious riots and unjust laws. Well, you are not to be blamed for the country has drawn much negative publicity from round the globe. But Iran is not all about insurrection and insurgency. The land, which is home to one of the world’s oldest civilization, has been a cultural and economic centre of the Middle East. It has been home to numerous ethnic groups and also to a large number of talented men who have greatly contributed in the country cultural and economic landscape.

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 1 
Cyrus the Great
(Founder of First Persian Empire)
Cyrus the Great
9
Birthdate: 0590 BC
Birthplace: Anshan, Iran
Died: 0530 BC
 2 
Avicenna
(Persian polymath the most significant physiciansand writers of the Islamic Golden Age, and the father of early modern medicine.)
Avicenna
14
Birthdate: 0980 AD
Birthplace: Afshona, Uzbekistan
Died: May 31, 1037
 3 
Omar Khayyam
(Mathematician)
Omar Khayyam
24
Birthdate: May 18, 1048
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Nishapur, Khorasan, Iran
Died: December 4, 1131
 4 
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
(The Last Shah of Iran Who Ruled from 1941 to 1979)
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
59
Birthdate: October 26, 1919
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
Died: July 27, 1980
 5 
Darius the Great
(King of Persia)
Darius the Great
7
Birthdate: 0550 BC
Birthplace: Iran
Died: September 30, 0486
 6 
Xerxes I
(King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 486 BC to 465 BC)
Xerxes I
20
Birthdate: 0519 AD
Birthplace: Achaemenid Empire
Died: July 31, 0466
 7 
Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī
(Iranian Scholar, Scientist and Polymath)
Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī
13
Birthdate: 0973 AD
Birthplace: Beruni, Uzbekistan
Died: 1050 AD
 8 
Ali Daei
(Iranian Football Manager and Former Player Who Played as a Centre Forward)
Ali Daei
35
Birthdate: March 21, 1969
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ardabil, Iran
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 9 
Rezā Shāh
(Shah of Iran from 1925 to 1941)
Rezā Shāh
27
Birthdate: March 15, 1878
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Alasht, Iran
Died: July 26, 1944
 10 
Muhammad of Ghor
(King)
Muhammad of Ghor
18
Birthdate: 1149 AD
Birthplace: Ghor, Afghanistan
Died: March 15, 1206
 11 
Nader Shah
(Shah of Iran from 1736 to 1747)
Nader Shah
11
Birthdate: October 22, 1688
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dargaz, Iran
Died: June 19, 1747
 12 
Mohammad Mosaddegh
(Political Leader)
Mohammad Mosaddegh
22
Birthdate: June 16, 1882
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
Died: March 5, 1967
 13 
Al-Ghazālī
(Persian Polymath Considered as One of the Most Prominent and Influential Philosophers, Theologians, Jurists, Logicians and Mystics)
Al-Ghazālī
17
Birthdate: 1058 AD
Birthplace: Ṭūs, Iran
Died: December 19, 1111
 14 
Hafez
(14th Century Persian Lyric Poet)
Hafez
3
Birthdate: 1325 AD
Birthplace: Shiraz, Iran
Died: 1390 AD
 15 
Alireza Jahanbakhsh
(Iranian Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Right Winger and Attacking Midfielder)
Alireza Jahanbakhsh
21
Birthdate: August 11, 1993
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jirandeh, Iran
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 16 
Mansour Bahrami
(Former Professional Tennis Player)
Mansour Bahrami
16
Birthdate: April 26, 1956
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Arak, Iran
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 17 
Abbas Kiarostami
(Film director, Screenwriter, Photographer, Film producer, Poet, Film editor)
Abbas Kiarostami
13
Birthdate: June 22, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tehran
Died: July 4, 2016
 18 
Shams Tabrizi
9
Birthdate: 1185 AD
Birthplace: Tabriz, Iran
Died: 1248 AD
 19 
Asghar Farhadi
(Iranian Film Director and Screenwriter)
Asghar Farhadi
18
Birthdate: May 7, 1972
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Khomeyni Shahr, Iran
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 20 
Jabir Ibn Hayyan
(Iran Philosopher and Author)
Jabir Ibn Hayyan
16
Birthdate: 0721 AD
Birthplace: Tous, Iran
Died: 0813 AD
 21 
Al-Razi
(Polymath)
Al-Razi
3
Birthdate: 0854 AD
Birthplace: Ray
Died: October 15, 0925
 22 
Ismail I
(sovereign, poet, writer)
Ismail I
7
Birthdate: July 17, 1487
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Ardabil
Died: May 23, 1524
 23 
Alireza Firouzja
(Iranian-French Chess Grandmaster)
Alireza Firouzja
25
Birthdate: June 18, 2003
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Babol, Iran
 24 
Artaxerxes I of Persia
(King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 465 BC to 424 BC)
Artaxerxes I of Persia
1
Birthplace: Susa, Iran
Died: 0424 AD
 25 
Ferdowsi
(Persian Poet and One of the Most Influential Figures of Persian Literature)
Ferdowsi
0
Birthdate: 0940 AD
Birthplace: Tous, Iran
Died: 1020 AD
 26 
Nasir al-Din al-Tusi
4
Birthdate: February 18, 1201
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tous, Iran
Died: June 26, 1274
 27 
Mehdi Taremi
(Iranian Professional Football Player Who Plays as a Striker)
Mehdi Taremi
22
Birthdate: July 18, 1992
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bushehr, Iran
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 28 
Reza Aslan
(Scholar, Author Famous for His Translated Works ‘No God but God: The Origins’, ‘Evolution’, and ‘Future of Islam')
Reza Aslan
9
Birthdate: May 3, 1972
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
 29 
Navid Negahban
(Actor)
Navid Negahban
11
Birthdate: June 2, 1968
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Iran
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 30 
Ramin Karimloo
(Actor)
Ramin Karimloo
12
Birthdate: September 19, 1978
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 31 
Arash
(Singer)
Arash
27
Birthdate: April 23, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 32 
Execution of Navid Afkari
(Wrestler)
Execution of Navid Afkari
21
Birthdate: July 22, 1993
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Shiraz, Iran
Died: September 12, 2020
 33 
Malik-Shah I
(Sultan)
Malik-Shah I
4
Birthdate: August 8, 1055
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Isfahan, Iran
Died: November 19, 1092
 34 
Shapur I
(Military commander)
Shapur I
0
Birthdate: 0215 AD
Birthplace: Firouzabad
Died: April 30, 0272
 35 
The Iron Sheik
(Professional Wrestler Best Known for His Crippling Camel Clutch Maneuver)
The Iron Sheik
24
Birthdate: March 15, 1942
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Damghan, Iran
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 36 
Zerubbabel
(Governor of Judaea)
Zerubbabel
3
Birthdate: 0566 BC
Birthplace: Not known
Died: 0510 BC
 37 
Al-Tabari
(Iranian Historian and Educator)
Al-Tabari
3
Birthdate: 0839 AD
Birthplace: Āmol, Iran
Died: February 17, 0923
 38 
Maz Jobrani
(Comedians)
Maz Jobrani
21
Birthdate: February 26, 1972
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 39 
Nabonidus
(king)
Nabonidus
1
Birthplace: Harran
Died: 0539 BC
 40 
Ali Karimi
(Iranian Football Coach and Former Football Player Who Played as a Midfielder)
Ali Karimi
9
Birthdate: November 8, 1978
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Karaj, Iran
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 41 
Yazdegerd III
(King)
Yazdegerd III
4
Birthdate: 0624 AD
Birthplace: Estakhr, Iran
Died: 0651 AD
 42 
Antiochus III the Great
(king)
Antiochus III the Great
4
Birthdate: 0241 BC
Birthplace: Susa
Died: 0187 BC
 43 
Ashkan Dejagah
(Iranian Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Midfielder)
Ashkan Dejagah
10
Birthdate: July 5, 1986
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tehran, Iran
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 44 
Hassan Yazdani
(Wrestler)
Hassan Yazdani
15
Birthdate: December 28, 1994
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lapu Sahra, Iran
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 45 
Ulugh Beg
(Ruler of the Timurid Empire from 1447 to 1449)
Ulugh Beg
3
Birthdate: March 22, 1394
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Soltanieh, Iran
Died: October 27, 1449
 46 
Nizam al-Mulk
(scientist, writer)
Nizam al-Mulk
3
Birthdate: April 10, 1018
Sun Sign: Aries
Died: October 14, 1092
 47 
Darius II Ochus
(King of Persia)
Darius II Ochus
0
Birthdate: 0475 AD
Birthplace: Iran
Died: 0404 AD
 48 
Shahpur Bakhtiar
(45th Prime Minister of Iran (January 1979 - February 1979))
Shahpur Bakhtiar
17
Birthdate: June 26, 1914
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Shahrekord, Iran
Died: August 6, 1991
 49 
Ardashir I
(Shahanshah of the Sasanian Empire (224–242))
Ardashir I
0
Birthplace: Banvan, Iran
Died: January 31, 0242
 50 
Artaxerxes III
(King of Persia)
Artaxerxes III
0
Birthdate: 0425 BC
Birthplace: Achaemenid Empire, iran
Died: 0338 BC

If you don’t believe us, then this would help clear your doubt. World leaders like Ayatollah Khomeini, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali Khamenei, Olympic Gold medallist Hadi Sedi, Abdollah Movahed, Emamali Habibi Goudarzi, Mohammad Nassiri, religious figures like The Bab, Bahau’llah, Mani, literary figures like Karim Emami, Majid M Naini, Ali Akbar Abdolrashidi, all of them belong to the Iranian soil. Check this section and update yourself with the life and deeds of famous Iranian men who did their country proud with their significant works. Their inspiring life story would definitely help you think high of Iran!