National Horoscope of the Islamic Repubic of Iran

Iran is one of the world’s oldest countries. Its history dates back almost 5,000 years and includes the days of the great Persian Empire. In Biblical times, Persian kings ruled a vast territory that included most of southwestern Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Foreign powers have invaded and occupied Iran time and again during its long history. One of the most important invasions occurred in the mid-600’s when Muslim Arabs conquered the country. The Arab conquest had a lasting effect on Iranian culture. The Muslim caliphs (religious leaders) governed the country for about 200 years. During their rule, the Islamic faith spread throughout Iran. Today, the vast majority of Iranians are Muslims.

In the early 1900s, the discovery of oil in southwestern Iran gave the country an enormous source of wealth. Reza Shah Pahlavi ruled Iran as the Shah (king) from 1925 to 1941. In 1941, his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, became the Shah. Both men used revenues from Iran’s oil exports to modernize the country and promote economic and social development. In February 1979, revolutionaries under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a Muslim religious leader, overthrew the regime of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and took complete control of Iran by April. On April 1, 1979 – Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declares Iran an Islamic Republic. The revolutionaries changed Iran’s government from a constitutional monarchy to an Islamic republic. Ayatollah Khomeini and his followers drafted a Constitution for the new Islamic republic. The Constitution, which is closely based on the teachings of Islam, went into effect in December 3, 1979.