1. INTRODUCTION TO
PERSEPOLIS

2. East versus West

3. The East The East refers to countries: on the Asian continent
(from Turkey to China)
that were NOT influenced by Ancient Greece or Christianity.
Common Names:
in eastern Asia = the Far East
in western Asia = the Middle East

4. The Middle East
Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Israel, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco (Afghanistan, Pakistan)

5. The West The West refers to countries:
in Europe and North and South America
especially countries like Britain, Germany France and the USA
whose mainstream cultural heritage comes from Greek, Roman and Christian traditions

6. The West

7. The East vs. The West The terms “East” and “West”…
have been common for centuries
are a convenient way to group cultures
are often used as stereotypes

9. Iran
 Tehran
IRAN
IRAQ
ancient city
of Persepolis
SAUDI
ARABIA

10. Iran The country that is now Iran used to be the Persian Empire:
founded by Cyrus the Great in 500 BC
(at the time) was the largest empire in history
an advanced and accomplished civilization
conquered by Alexander the Great in 330 BC

12. Persepolis capital of Persian Empire founded by king Cyrus the Great
a symbol of past greatness of Iran

15. Background Knowledge: Islam
Islam is the second largest religion in the world.
People who believe in Islam are called Muslims.
Muslims believe God (called Allah) spoke to the prophet Muhammad so that he could write The Qur’an, their bible.
Muslims believe that a pure life (according to the Five Pillars of Islam) is the path to heaven.

16. Background Knowledge: Sha’ria Law
the application of Islamic teachings to civil laws and government is called Sha’ria
when the author refers to “fundamentalists,” she is referring to Muslims who want to make Sha’ria the official law of Iran.

18. Themes
Class System - wealth vs. poverty - education vs. ignorance Growing Up - establishing identity in one’s family - in one’s society Restrictive Government - the freedom to choose beliefs - access to information Marginalization (Being an Outsider) - not feeling like you truly fit into a group