Are there blonde iranians

Last edited: Dec 2, And greeks too. Jan 1, Balkans. Judging by ancient Persian art, they look the same as nowadays. Midas Ad Honorem. Dec 4, Scandinavia, Balkans, Anatolia, Hatay. Persians assimilated the people who already lived there and those were not exactly blondes. The proto-Iranics lets say had potentially all colours, but they were not exlusively blond. Most probably a brown haired majority and a light haired minority. Similar History Discussions History Forum Date Were the ancient Persians really the benevolent tolerant saints they were throughout the ages like many people think of them to be?

Ancient History Jun 25, How were ancient Rome naval battles? Ancient History Jun 16, Scientists were able to narrow down the location of Punt by analysing ancient baboon remains African History Apr 17, Similar History Discussions Were the ancient Persians really the benevolent tolerant saints they were throughout the ages like many people think of them to be? How crowns were used globally in ancient times? How were ancient Rome naval battles? Some prints and embroideries on display pay tribute to traditional Persian and Islamic art and figurative painting.

There are coolly abstract fibreglass and epoxy sculptures. There are also works touching on political history, including three orange-red neon tulips by the Tehran-based Mahmoud Bakhshi, whose "Industrial Revolution" series ironically repurposes propaganda from the Iranian revolution. Others take direct aim at the stereotypes many Iranians endure. Not far from Aliabadi's Miss Hybrid 3, a pastel-hued screenprint from Khosrow Hassanzadeh's Terrorist series is installed.

It's a self-portrait: we see the artist clutching flowers and surrounded by family portraits and heirlooms. If we view this Muslim as a "terrorist", the image seems to say, maybe it's time to look again.

One facet of the show that Afkhami is proudest of is the strong presence of female artists, whose works give the lie to the myth that all Iranian women live painfully downtrodden lives, denied any meaningful form of self-expression. If we want to understand the range and variety of art being produced by artists in Iran, it's time we looked past the Handmaid's Tale-style cliches, argues Afkhami, whose great-grandmother, Effat al-Muluk Khwajeh Nouri, was the first female artist in Iran to set up a private painting school for girls in They're driving the scene in Tehran in particular.

And the diversity of work is amazing. This isn't to say that making art — indeed, living life — in Iran is remotely straightforward when you don't happen to be male.

While the post-revolution constitution proclaimed equal rights for men and women , it also enshrined conservative Sharia law, reduced the age of marriage to 9 years old later increased to 13 and restricted a woman's right to divorce her husband.

Conditions across the country vary greatly — north Tehran is liberal, compared with more conservative areas and cities — but women everywhere face tough restrictions on their movement and travel, enforcement of a "modest" dress code that includes compulsory hair covering enforceable by the Gasht-e Ershad or "Guidance Patrols" , punitive legislation on custody of children, and many other limitations.

Yet even here there are paradoxes: despite intermittent meddling by conservative politicians, education remains open to everyone, and women make up over 60 per cent of those entering university in Iran a higher share than in a country such as the UK. In art schools, the percentage is believed to be even higher. When it comes to the arts, the arm of the Islamic state is long. Censorship is enforced by the Ministry of Information , which regulates cultural output, requires that art works for display are pre-approved though not all galleries comply and retains the ability to remove images or shut down exhibitions if they cross a moral, religious or political line.

A longstanding participant in the Tehran art scene says that, while it sounds Orwellian, in reality there are ways of operating. Everyone finds a way of coping with it. Yes, there's the sense that someone is checking you out: someone can come in, even off the street, and they can be a hardliner and complain about the show and things can get nasty, but it rarely happens.

For every piece that is not shown, there are 1, others that are. She adds that, as in many restrictive regimes, it's a game of sorts. The Iranian government isn't dumb: it realises that, just as it's impossible to control what every artist is making, there are benefits to giving culture a degree of latitude.

I think they've realised after 43 years that they cannot stop the flow of art — it's so important in Iran. If they increase restrictions, the result may be that art will go underground, where it will be hard to monitor. So better to have it in view, in a way. A female photographer puts it more bluntly: "It's not like we're living in North Korea. It's a big space. But, like many Iranians, she's also weary of cliches trotted out in the western media. When people pick out those to not associate with they are actively discriminating, which is far more unhealthy than the alternative.

If it's association with blonde haired, light eyed Europeans due to an unhealthy association with the whole Nazi German thing, then I would agree, that's not a good thing, as we all know what that's all about.

Btw, Shamshir, that thing you're calling Nordic features were features of people from Iranian lands once upon a time. I noticed that the more mixed a group is, the bigger social problems are because individuals characterized by immorality, lack of civic attitude, corruption. Examples: Italy, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, all having the most mixed populations in Europe due to historical migrations or imperialism.

Perhaps the more mixed a group is, more contradictory personality types exists, or another explanation is that the more mixed a population is, the personalities of individuals are stronger and more complex, leading to generally higher conflictual relations, tendencies break the law, deceive etc.

Originally posted by Menumorut But this is not a racial thing, is rather a form of self-protecting from groups of general lower education and worse behaviour and habits. Really, Menumorut, considering the incredibly high standards in education in many Asian countries in comparison to most European, and western countries? Originally posted by TheAlaniDragonRising Originally posted by Menumorut But this is not a racial thing, is rather a form of self-protecting from groups of general lower education and worse behaviour and habits.

Originally posted by TheAlaniDragonRising I don't think so. Northern Iranians slightly resemble Nords. But most original Iranians have always looked the same: Black hair, thick brows, light but not blue eyes and fair skin.

Originally posted by Menumorut I noticed that the more mixed a group is, the bigger social problems are because individuals characterized by immorality, lack of civic attitude, corruption. I'm pretty sure that personality types run across the board, Menumorut, regardless which ethnic group you come from. Those who discriminate against those of different ethnic groups, because they are from a different ethnic group is more likely to cause social unrest, and problems.

Originally posted by Shamshir I don't think so. You're forgetting Iran's historical links with the Scythians, the Sarmatians, the Alani. I couldn't agree more. I also think that racially diverse nations tend to have a very low sense of national pride, since the only connection between its citizen is often linguistic, which is as weak a factor.

At the end of the day, all of us are nothing more than evolved apes. Yes, I'm aware of that. However, if what you're saying is true, then the Achaemenids and the Sassanids weren't Iranians, since they didn't have blonde hair and blue eyes!! Originally posted by Shamshir I couldn't agree more.

I'm not a person who believes that there are more than one race, the human race. But I do believe that there are very many ethnic groups. In your opinion, Shamshir, does Iran having many ethnic groups make it less proud of itself? Originally posted by Shamshir Yes, I'm aware of that. Well the features of the Scythians, Sarmatians, and the Alani have been documented, with a great many indeed having those features you're describing as nordic. In all probability you might have found it difficult to have found those with what you're calling nordic features in Scythian times.