| Summary/Abstract |
This special issue brings together eight articles that examine the visualization of Iran ranging from the Achaemenids to contemporary Iranian society, providing a glimpse into the array of representations in and of Iran. Even as a snapshot they allow a bird's-eye view of the historic role of visual culture in shaping, influencing, and transforming Iranian cultures over successive centuries. An immensely rich visual culture has always existed in Iran and the surrounding regions, often shaped by encounters with different zones of contact and patronized by ruling elites and dynasties with myriad artistic and cultural traditions, needs, and agendas. This special issue is a tribute to that rich cultural history.
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