By Vania Raebel | October 7, 2019
A New Name
For the longest time, Iran was known to the outside world as “Persia.” This was the name used in government documents, official correspondence, and news reports. Other countries who maintained diplomatic ties with Persia used the name as well.
In 1935, Reza Shah Pahlavi, the Shah of Persia, ordered the name change from “Persia” to “Iran,” which is actually the country’s name in Persian. This was believed to have been a suggestion from the Iranian ambassador to Germany, who had been influenced by Nazis. By this time, Germany was in the process of trying to develop good relations with countries whose people were of “Aryan” blood. Due to government efforts, the name “Persia” eventually fell into disuse, ushering in a new era for the country.
