Per·sia (pûr zh , -sh)1. also Persian Empire A vast empire of southwest Asia founded by Cyrus II after 546 b.c. and brought to the height of its power and glory by Darius I and his son Xerxes. Eventually the empire extended from the Indus River valley in present-day Pakistan to the Mediterranean Sea before Alexander the Great conquered it between 333 and 331 b.c. 2. See Iran. |
Persia [ˈpɜːʃə]
n
1. (Placename) the former name (until 1935) of Iran
2. (Historical Terms) another name for Persian Empire
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Persia - an empire in southern Asia created by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC and destroyed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCAsia - the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations peri - (Persian folklore) a supernatural being descended from fallen angels and excluded from paradise until penance is done |
| 2. |  Persia - a theocratic Islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; Iran was the core of the ancient empire that was known as Persia until 1935; rich in oilMEK, MKO, Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization, People's Mujahidin of Iran - a terrorist organization formed in the 1960s by children of Iranian merchants; sought to counter the Shah of Iran's pro-western policies of modernization and opposition to communism; following a philosophy that mixes Marxism and Islam it now attacks the Islamic fundamentalists who deposed the Shah OPEC, Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries - an organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the production and sale of petroleum Usuli - a religious movement by Persian Shiite Muslims in 17th century Iran that is opposed to the Akhbari; "Usuli Shiism produced the politically active caste of priests that is a distinctive feature of Iranian Shiism" Middle East, Mideast, Near East - the area around the eastern Mediterranean; from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to Iran; the site of such ancient civilizations as Phoenicia and Babylon and Egypt and the birthplace of Judaism and Christianity and Islam; had continuous economic and political turmoil in the 20th century; "the Middle East is the cradle of Western civilization" Gulf States - the countries in southwestern Asia that border the Persian Gulf capital of Iran, Iranian capital, Teheran, Tehran - the capital and largest city of Iran; located in northern Iran Abadan - a port city in southwestern Iran Bam - an ancient city in southeastern Iran; destroyed by an earthquake in 2003 Shiraz - a city in central southwestern Iran; ruins of ancient Persepolis are nearby Tabriz - an ancient city in northwestern Iran; known for hot springs Qum - a city in northwestern Iran; a place of pilgrimage for Shiite Muslims Persepolis - an ancient city that was the capital of the ancient Persian Empire; now in ruins Kurdistan - an extensive geographical region in the Middle East to the south of the Caucasus Dasht-e-Lut, Lut Desert - a desert in eastern Iran Demavend - an active volcano in northern Iran Asia - the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations Caspian, Caspian Sea - a large saltwater lake between Iran and Russia fed by the Volga River; the largest inland body of water in the world Daryacheh-ye Orumiyeh, Lake Urmia, Urmia - a shallow saline lake in northwestern Iran between Tabriz and the western border of Turkey Irani, Iranian, Persian - a native or inhabitant of Iran; "the majority of Irani are Persian Shiite Muslims" ayatollah - a high-ranking Shiite religious leader who is regarded as an authority on religious law and its interpretation and who has political power as well |
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|