Running head: CULTURE, TRADITION AND LIFESTYLE IN IRAN 1

CULTURE, TRADITION AND LIFESTYLE IN IRAN

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Iran’s Culture, Tradition and Lifestyle

Every country and her people usually have a way in which they operate. That is their

culture and hence their practices. To them, it is their normal way of life and it identifies them as a

people. That means that anyone from that specific region can identify himself or herself with that

kind of practice. A country like Iran is characterized by specific cultures, traditions and specific

lifestyles. These are the norms of the citizens of the country and they are discussed below.

Iran perceived family as the most crucial part of the community, in order to promote their

cultural practices from one generation to another. Protecting the family is ensured by the

members of the society as a whole since family is considered to be the foundation of the

community’s social structure. Each member of the family has a particular responsibility, which

he or she must surely maintain at all cost. Iran’s men ensure that their family do not lack any

basic requirements and above all, they keep the family members safe. The family members are to

make sure that before anything else their loyalty to their families is upheld, hence most of them

could possibly go to the extent of giving their life for the purpose of ensuring no harm comes to

the family. Men also ensure that the women are protected, hence in most cases, it is considered a

crime to seek particular information relating to women in a specific family. Boys are provided

with ideas on how to protect their sisters’ from harm. Women play their role to the family

regarding being loyal to their men and other family members, making meals and taking care of

their children (IES, 2018). The old are not taken to nursing facilities, as they remain at home to

be taken care of by the other family members.

Iran’s have got great interest in art, most of their buildings designs usually display their

skills in art. Most buildings in Iraq are always decorated in a manner that displays them as

experts of arts in terms of painting, poetry and even architecture. Iraq’s do build their houses and
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religious buildings, in a manner that is much different with those in other countries. While

building they ensure that their cultural practice is displayed in the building in which they

construct. The countries skills in poetry are well known worldwide (Iran Guide, 2018). They are

considered to be the best modellers of carpets and rugs; this is facilitated by the fine wool and

silk available in most regions of the country.

In order to promote respect within the society and prevent cases of unwanted pregnancy

and the early relationship among females and males, it has been made part of Iran’s culture and

rule, to ensure that unmarried women and men do not come in close contacts. Women are never

allowed to socialize with men, and the same applies to men. For the culture to be promoted

among the members of the society, Iran’s religious buildings are built in search a manner that

women conduct their prayers in separate rooms, hence preventing from seeing or communicating

with other men (IES 2018). The same law applies to foreigners who visit the country, since they

are not allowed to communicate with those who are not of the same sex as them.

Majority of Iran’s are Muslims hence Islamic religion is viewed as part of their cultural

practice. The country’s religion is given the first priority in most everything, the country’s

citizens are required to follow the religious rule to the latter. It is because of their high respect

towards their religious laws, Out of existing Muslim countries, Iran is the only country

considered to be a Shiite state, and all the other remaining countries are considered to be Sunni

states. Friday is considered to be a holy day according to Islamic although the members are

required to worship five times in a day (Iran Guide, 2018).

Similarities between Iranian and Indian Culture

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Most of the times, communities in different countries share a lot in terms of their culture

and practices. Such a situation is witnessed Between India and Iran countries have so many

cultural similarities. The Iran’s who were formally known as the indo Iran’s are found in the

Middle East part of the content, that is widely considered to be a world of the Arabs and

bordered by countries such Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Indians who also formally known as

the Indo-Europeans, do exist in South Asia part of the continent and bordered by countries such

as Pakistan and Afghanistan. Even though there exist wide distance between these two countries.

Both Iran and India, have shown a wide range of similarities in terms of their culture that is the

manner in which most of the communities within the countries handle them self, their way of

living and their religious practices.

The two countries: Iran and India have shown similarities in terms of linguistic, that’s is

the language used for interaction in the two countries. Both countries use a language know as

Farsi, for communication for example in both countries vegetable is known as sabz in Farsi.

During the historical times in India, Farsi was mainly used by the Muslim rulers, who did come

from Iran, to carry out religious functions and even settle particular disputes in relation to

Muslim culture (TIP, 2014). This, of course, led to spread of the language with the interior and

exterior parts of Iran, hence making it one of their cultural languages.

Both Iran and India have shown a common interested in terms of religious practice. Both

of them do have a religion known as Zoroastrian. During the seventh century, a large number of

Iranians migrated to India in order to escape the Arab conquest. The high number of those whom

migrate to escape the consequents were mostly the Parsis community.They currently have

become part of Indians minority community, although the Parsis migrated from their mother

country into a new country, they didn’t abandon their religious practice (Zoroastrian), this led to
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the spread of their religion into different parts of India, as they absorb some of the Indians into

practicing the religion. The same religion is still practised in Iran hence these as brought a

religious tie or relationship between these two countries (TIP, 2014). The Parsis still maintain

their ties with part of their community that remained in Iran hence the bond has become even

stronger through the continuous intermarriage between two countries. The similarity in religion

is therefore explained.

There is also a significant similarity in the architectural designs of both Indian and

Iranian buildings. Those castles built in Iran and those built in India do possess similarities in

their design hence the structure. There roofing is also very similar the building designs for these

castles. The similarity is also seen in the design of their holy places of worship. The mosques in

Iran are built in a more similar design to the temples in India. The design is very identical.

Moreover, the carpets used on the floors of these castles and holy places of worship. The Indian

floor including the tiles used is much influenced by the Persian design hence the similarity with

the Iranian design of floor mats and tiles (Quora, 2018).

Similarities also do exist in the food eaten by the two cultures. The type of food

consumed in India is more of similar to that eaten in Iran. That includes the methods of preparing

the meals involved in this situation. An example of such foods that are in existence in both the

culture are; misri, naan, and kebob. The two communities tend to spice a lot their meals and that

is a similarity. When eating, it has been noticed that the communities prefer using bare hands

instead of using cutlery which is attributed to westernization. Moreover, the two communities

also show similarity in that they prefer eating in circles while seated on the floor (Quora, 2018).

Although the culture is reduced, it is still significantly practiced in the rural parts of India and

Iran.
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Wall painting art is both practiced by the two countries; both countries draw paintings on

the wall of their religious places to indicate the ancient and historical religious leaders. This is

done in order to give ideas about the past, where the communities came from or their origins.

The paintings provide ideas about those whom the communities consider being their religious

heroes. It is made mandatory in the countries to pass the history behind the paintings from

generation to generation in order to help maintain their cultural practice wherever they go (TIP,

2014).

Indeed the Iranian and the Indian cultures do share a lot in common. The similarities in

their culture range from, their way of life that is, how the cook, the foods they cook, how they

eat, the manner in which they build their structures and their language to their religious practice.
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References

IES (2018). The Cultural Atlas. Retrieved from: http://www.theculturalatlas.org

Iran Guide (2018). A look at Iranian Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. Retrieved from:

https://www.commisceo-global.com/reasorces/country-guides/iran-guide
Quora (2018). What are the similarities between Indian and Iranian culture? Retrieved from:

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-similarities-between-indian-iranian-culture
TIP (2014). Similarities between India and Iran. Retrieved from:

https://theiranproject.com/blog/2014/11/08/similarities-between-india-and-iran/