Thousands of years ago, the land now called Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan was home to many different groups. At different times, the Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians ruled the area.
Around 3,300 years ago, a new group showed up. They were called Aryans. They came from central Asia, north of the Caspian Sea. Today, that area is partly in Russia and partly in Kazakhstan. The Aryans were made up of many tribes. One tribe, the Medes, settled in what is now northern and western Iran. Another tribe, the Persians, lived farther south, in a place called Fars. By 585 B.C.E., the Medes had defeated the Assyrians and taken over the area. But the Medes didn’t rule for long. Around 550 B.C.E., they were beaten by Cyrus II, king of Persia. After that victory, Cyrus went on to build the biggest empire the ancient world had ever seen. He became known as Cyrus the Great.
