Discover the Intriguing World of Ancient Persia: Top 4 Fun Facts About the Persian Empire You Never Knew!

1. Persian FedEx Horseback

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night" could stop the ancient Persians' need for speed when it came to delivering messages; we're talking FedEx horseback-style: The Persian Empire had an impressive postal system with relay riders using horses to deliver messages across its vast territories with lightning-fast speed, connecting the administrative capital in western Iran to faraway regions like India and Egypt in just a matter of days – the Postal Service must have felt the pressure, but the Persians luckily didn't have to worry about coming up with any catchy mottos or cutesy courier names.
Source => bbc.com

2. Ghosts with Empty Bellies and Bad Fashion

Ever felt like you're being haunted by a ghost with an empty stomach and a low fashion sense? You might want to blame the Persians for their odd beliefs: The ancient Persians thought that after death, the person's spirit, or 'urvan', hung around for three days, vulnerable to evil spirits and in need of food and clothing. Offerings were made by the deceased's family for up to thirty years, proving that in ancient Persia, hand-me-downs weren't just for the living.
Source => iranchamber.com

Did you know Shah Jahan's Peacock Throne, featuring the Koh-i-Noor diamond, took seven years to create and cost four times more than the Taj Mahal? Discover its dazzling journey that involved 700 elephants, 4,000 camels, and 12,000 horses! ✨👑🐘💎

=> Fun Facts about The-Mughal-Empire

3. Ancient Persian Dance Crew

Before they became experts at bullfighting, ancient Persians were actually grooving and shaking in honor of their favorite deity: In the worship of Mithra, a ritual known as "Danse Persique Sacrée" was performed, consisting of an all-male dance crew accompanying the ceremonial sacrifice of a bull to promote life's vigors - making this divine boogie the earliest known form of Iranian dance and the origin of antique civilization's mystical moves.
Source => iranchamber.com

4. Tough Persian Child Soldiers

Kids these days have it so easy, helicoptered to soccer practice and baby-stepped through algebra: but back in the Persian Empire, boys were molded into archery-wielding, horse-riding, truth-telling soldiers from the ripe age of five until twenty, never bothering with reading or writing because that was "scribe stuff".
Source => iranicaonline.org