Iran, also formerly known as Persia, has an interesting history that affects the modern culture of the region. Iran is known for one of the oldest major civilizations in the world, with roots dating back to 4000 BC. First, the Medes occupied the region; they unified Iran as a major nation and empire. Iran has been ruled by a series of empires and dynasties, starting with the Achaemenid Empire which ruled from 550 to 330 BCE to the last Iranian dynasty, the Pahlavi dynasty, which ruled from 1925 to 1941 CE. The Iranian Revolution or Islamic Revolution ended the Iranian dynasties after the shahs (kings) began to integrate Western ideals and philosophies into society. This aroused strong objections from the clerics and they began to view the Shahs as un-Islamic, which eventually led to the Ayatollah regaining power over the nation. In order to have a basic understanding of the issues facing Iran today, it is important to look to the past and understand the modern history of this complex nation. Let's start by taking a look at the Safavid Empire, which took control in Iran. 1502. The Safavid Empire ruled modern Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Armenia, Georgia, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Caucasus. The Safavid dynasty is best known for establishing Shia Islam as the official religion of Iran. This led to the decline of the Zoroastrian and Baha'i religions, ancient religions originating in Iran. Shah Ismail I was the first Shah of the Safavid dynasty, he was mainly responsible for the conversion of Iran from Sunni Islam to Shia Islam. Ismail served as a spiritual leader to the Iranian people, under his rule anyone not part of the Shia Islamic faith faced extreme...... middle of paper ...... part of " "Axis of Evil" in his State of the Union speech upset many Iranians. In 2005, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president in place of Khatami. Ahmadinejad brought back conservative policies. Under his presidency, dress codes and the persecution of minorities became stricter and many homosexuals were also hanged. Ahmadinejad refused to stop uranium enrichment as demanded by the United Nations. He was re-elected in 2009 with a surprisingly large victory. Opponents claimed it was an obvious fraud and protesters took to the streets, but the government did not back down and killed at least 20 protesters. The Obama administration is currently pursuing a policy of engagement with Iran, but no results are visible so far. Iran's modern history is full of complexities. Iran is still struggling today to establish democracy. I hope that one day I will witness a truly free and democratic Iran..