Fun with Maps ISSUE 2025-052

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (March 21, 2025) – In today’s edition of Fun with Maps, we mark the date for recognizing the long-held name of battle-torn land.   

Slow on the Uptake

So, westerners were slow on the uptake by about 3000 years.

The people living in Iran have called their country Iran since. ca. 1000 BC.  But, westerners stuck with the historical name of Persia until March 20, 1935.

This country has a rich heritage.   Continuous urban habitation goes back to 4000 BC.  The Persian empire ruled much of the Middle East during their height 2000-400 BC. 

One of its notable leaders is Xerxes who in 480 BC captured Athens.  Then he failed to capture many city states to the south.  Had he, we might be speaking Persian and not one of the European languages.

Early writing, arts, architecture were the hallmark of the empire. 

Chaos erupted after the deposition of the Shah Pahlavi in 1979.  Then all hell broke loose.

The Iranian Empire at its zenith is pictured in this map by Teesdale in 1831.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Fun with Maps here on Loveland Beacon.