Iran (land of the Aryans) is a large 630,000 square mile mountainous country which is about two and a half times as big as Texas. Strategically located between Europe, the Middle East and Asia it is bordered by 10 different countries as well as the important Persian Gulf.
The area was one of the first civilizations created by man and traces its roots before the Elamite kingdom in 2800 BC. As a crossroads country it has a long history of being involved in trading with the surrounding countries and invading and being invaded. by numerous armies and nomadic people.
The country is 95% Moslem (the other 5% is a mix of different religions) and the official and most commonly used language is Persian although other languages are also spoken.
.
Shah Abbas the Great is credited with building the famous Blue Domed Mosque (Masjid-i-shah) in the center of Isfahan.
Standing at the south side of Naghsh-i Jahan Square, this Safavid period (ca 1611) Mosque is considered to be an
excellent example of Islamic architecture and is a UNESCO world heritage site.
The coin bowl appear to be 1/4 kirin from the reign of Raza Shah Pahlavi
