Iran Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Iran appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 22 different states, among them Persia, Iran, Parthian Empire, Seleucid Kingdom, Achaemenid Empire.
IranExplore the history of Iran in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Iran as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Iran, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Historic cities in Iran
Famous people of Iran
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| c. 600 BC – 530 BC | Cyrus the Great | Founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire |
| 550 BC – 486 BC | Darius I | King of Persia |
| AD 980 – 1037 | Avicenna (Ibn Sina) | Physician and philosopher |
| c. 1210 – 1291 | Saadi | Poet |
| c. 1315 – 1390 | Hafez | Poet |
| 1571 – 1629 | Shah Abbas I | Safavid shah |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| 1514 | Battle of Chaldiran |
Landmarks
PersepolisRuins · 518 BC
Naqsh-e Jahan SquareStanding · 1602
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Iran?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Iran belonged to Persia, Iran, Parthian Empire, Seleucid Kingdom, Achaemenid Empire, Sasanian Empire, along with 16 other states.
What was Iran part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Iran lay within Buwayhid Emirates.
What was Iran part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Iran lay within Emirate of the White Sheep Turks.
What was Iran part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Iran lay within Persia.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.