Tehran

Diacriticless transliteration of Iranian Persian تِهران (tehrân), from Classical Persian تَهران (tahrān). See there for more.


Ben

Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari
Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari#English

The capital city of Ben County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran.


Sari

A city, the capital of Mazandaran province, northern Iran.


Zahedan

Sistan and Baluchestan
Sistan and Baluchestan#English

A city, the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran.


Qazvin

A city in northwestern Iran; capital of Qazvin province.


Antioch

Alexander the Great
Seleucid Empire
Seleucus I Nicator

Inherited from Middle English Antioche, from Old French Antioche, from Latin Antiochīa, from Ancient Greek Ἀντιόχεια (Antiókheia), from Ἀντίοχος (Antíokhos) + -εια (-eia, “-ia: forming place names”), originally from the father of Seleucus I Nicator, the general of Alexander the Great who founded the Seleucid Empire. The name was then borne by other Seleucid emperors, who named various cities after themselves. Later cities in the United States, etc., were subsequently named for the earlier ones, particularly the Syrian Antioch which was an important center of early Christianity. Compare Alexandria, Laodicea, Apamea, Ptolemais, and Seleucia.

Southwestern Asia
Southwestern Asia#English

(historical) Various other cities in Southwestern Asia founded by the Seleucid dynasty:

Former name of Nahavand, a city in Iran.


Shiraz

A major city in Fars province, in southern Iran, near the remains of Persepolis.


Khorramshahr

From Persian خرمشهر (xorramšahr) itself from خرم (xorram, “happy, green”) + شهر (šahr, “city”).

com

A port city in Khuzestan, located in southwestern Iran.


Abadan

A port city in Khuzestan, southwestern Iran.


Isfahan

Ultimately derived from Classical Persian اِصْفَهَان (isfahān), from Old Persian *spādānah (“army, adj.”) or *spādānām (“of the armies”), from 𐎿𐎱𐎠𐎭 (spādaʰ, “army”), from Proto-Iranian *cwáHdaH (“army”), q.v.

der+

The third largest city of Iran, and former capital of Iran (1598–1736).


Urmia

Probably from Assyrian Neo-Aramaic ܐܘܪ (w-r, “city”), a common Assyrian name for cities around Mesopotamia, and ܡܝܐ (miyā, “water”), referring to the great lake nearby.

A city and capital of West Azerbaijan, Iran, on the shore of the lake of the same name.


Tabriz

A city in northwestern Iran, capital of East Azerbaijan Province. Fourth largest city of Iran with population of about 1,600,000. Historical names: Davrezh, Tavrezh, Tavrez, Tauris.


Karaj

A city, the capital of Alborz Province, Iran.


Qom

Borrowed from Iranian Persian قم (qom), from Classical Persian قم (qum).

A city in Iran, considered holy by Shi'ite Muslims.


Susa

From Latin Sūsa, from Ancient Greek Σοῦσα (Soûsa), from Old Persian 𐏂𐎢𐏁𐎠 (Çūšā). Doublet of Sus and Shush.

(historical) Former name of Shush, a city in Iran which served as an ancient capital of Elam, the Persian Empire, the Seleucid Empire and the Parthian Empire.


Mashhad

Borrowed from Persian مشهد (mašhad), from Arabic مشهد (mašhad).

The second largest city in Iran; capital of Razavi Khorasan.


Bam

The capital city of Bam County, Kerman Province, Iran.


Bushehr

The provincial capital of Bushehr Province, Iran.


Kerman

A city, the provincial capital of Kerman Province, Iran


Kermanshah

The provincial capital of Kermanshah Province, Iran


Hamadan

From Persian همدان (hamadân), from Middle Persian 𐭠𐭧𐭬𐭲𐭠𐭭 (Ahmadān), from Old Persian 𐏃𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠𐎴 (Hagmatāna-). Doublet of Ecbatana; see that entry for more.

A city, the capital of Hamadan province, Iran.


Yazd

From Persian یزد (yazd), see it for more.

The capital city of Yazd province, Iran.


Semnan

A city, the capital of Semnan province, Iran.


Ahvaz

From Persian اهواز (ahvâz), from Arabic أَهْوَاز (ʔahwāz) and اَلْأَهْوَاز (al-ʔahwāz), a shortened form of سُوق الْأَهْوَاز (sūq al-ʔahwāz), a calque of Middle Persian Hūǰestān-vāčār (literally “the market of Khuzestan”), name of a major town in Sassanian-era Khuzestan; see Khuzestan for more.

der

A city in southern Iran, capital of the Khuzestan Province.


Hecatompylus

From Latin Hecatompylus, from Ancient Greek Ἑκατόμπυλος (Hekatómpulos, literally “one hundred gates”). The city had more than the traditional four gates.

(historical) A city in the province of Qumis, Persia, in modern Iran; Shahr-e Qumis; Saddarvazeh; one of the royal cities of the Parthian Empire.


Hormuz

Borrowed from Persian هرمز (hormoz). Doublet of Ahura Mazda.

A city in Iran; capital of the district of the same name.

होरमुज्द

city in Iran, capital of Hormuz District


Laodicea

From Latin Lāodicēa, from Ancient Greek Λαοδίκεια (Laodíkeia), from Λαοδίκη (Laodíkē) + -εια (-eia, “-ia: forming place names”), chiefly after Laodice I and other Seleucid empresses. Equivalent to Laodice + -a.

(historical) Various former cities in Southwest Asia, including

Former name of Nahavand, a city in Iran.


Salmas

Former name: Shahpur

A city in West Azerbaijan province, Iran.


Lowshan

Central District of Rudbar County#English

A city in Central District of Rudbar County, Gilan Province, in northern Iran.


Nishapur

From Persian نیشابور (neyšâbur), from earlier Persian نیشاپور (neyšâpur). From Shapur I (Middle Persian 𐭱𐭧𐭯𐭥𐭧𐭥𐭩 (šḥpʿḥʿy)), who is said to have established the city.


Zawra'

(Islam) the cities of Tehran (capital of Iran) and Ray (near Tehran).


Ardabil

The capital city of Ardabil Province, Iran.


Zanjan

The provincial capital of Zanjan Province, Iran.


Faryab

The capital city of Faryab County, Kerman Province, Iran.


Bandar Abbas

Borrowed from Persian بندر عباس (bandar abbâs).

bor+

A port city, the capital of Hormozgan province, Iran.


Khoy

A city in northwestern Iran; capital of West Azerbaijan.


Khorramabad

Borrowed from Persian خرمآباد, from خرم (xorram) + ـآباد (abad).

bor

Persian خرمآباد

The provincial capital of Lorestan, Iran.


Sarvestan

Transliteration of Persian سروستان, from سرو (sarv, “cypress”) + ـستان (-estan, “-stan”).

Sarvestan County
Sarvestan County#English


Mianeh

A city in Mianeh County, East Azerbaijan province, north-west Iran.


Bandar Torkaman

Former name: Bandar Shah

A city on the Caspian Sea, in Torkaman County, Golestan province, northern Iran.


Shahrud

A city in Shahrud County, Semnan province, Iran.


Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni

Renamed from Bandar Shahpur, after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

A city and port on the Persian Gulf, in Mahshahr County, Khuzestan province, south-west Iran.


Maragheh

A city in Maragheh County, East Azerbaijan province, north-west Iran.


Bojnord

A city and capital city in Bojnord County, North Khorasan, Iran.


Rasht

From Persian رشت (Rašt), of uncertain origin. Sometimes connected to رشتن (reštan, “to spin, to weave”) or its homonym رشتن (raštan, “to dye”), q.v., both with reference to the city's textile industry.

A city in Iran, the seat of Rasht County's Central District, and the capital of Gilan Province, located on the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea.


Zabol

Borrowed from Persian زابل. Previously Sistan, renamed by Reza Shah Pahlavi in the late 1920s.

A city in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran.


Chaharbagh

Borrowed from Persian چهارباغ (čahârbâğ), from چهار (čahâr, “four”) + باغ (bâğ, “garden”), literally “four gardens”.