History glossary
Sasanian Empire
the Persian empire that ruled Iran and Mesopotamia before the early Muslim conquests.
- Category
- Empire
- Region
- Iran and Mesopotamia
- Date range
- 224-651 CE
What it means
The Sasanian Empire was the Persian empire that ruled Iran, Iraq and surrounding regions before the early Muslim conquests. Its defeat transformed the political map of the Near East and opened Persia to Islamic rule.
Stories using this term
The Rise of Islam
From Muhammad's first revelations to the early caliphates, Islam grew from a Meccan message into a civilisation spanning Africa, Asia and Europe.
The Roman Empire
From Augustus to the fall of the Western Empire, Rome built a vast imperial system whose law, cities, armies and ideas shaped the ancient and medieval worlds.
The Byzantine Empire
From Constantine's new capital to the fall of Constantinople, Byzantium preserved Roman law, Orthodox Christianity, imperial government and classical learning through more than a thousand years of adaptation.
