Expanding the Study of Ancient Iran

Established in 2017 as the premier research center for the study of ancient Iran, the mission of the Pourdavoud Institute for the Study of the Iranian World is to engage in transformative research on all aspects of Iranian antiquity.

Since its inception, the Pourdavoud Institute has been engaged in the creation and dissemination of original research, including the Archaeological Gazetteer of Iran—a free-access, web-based encyclopedia of ancient Iranian archaeological sites.

Under the directorship of Professor M. Rahim Shayegan, the Institute has established a series, Iran and the Ancient World (IAW), as a leading publication venue for innovative research on pre-Islamic Iranian history, literature, and religion.

The Institute supports numerous events and workshops which aspire to become an intellectual hub for the study of ancient Iranian empires, while affording an institutional framework to foster new scholarship.

The Pourdavoud Video Library, which represents a citable research tool, captures recent intellectual discussions in the field and constitutes a novel source of scholarly publication that enhances the academic discourse.

Join the Pourdavoud Institute as we explore elements of the many legacies of ancient Persia and their relevance to global patrimony in our podcast.