Iran during the Shah's rule

The last 40 years of the monarchy, which fell to the lot of the Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, became too pro-Western for the broad masses and the Muslim Shiite clergy, which led to the revolution of 1979 (1357 according to the Iranian calendar).

The radical changes of that time brought Iran closer to a level of cultural freedom that has never been there and that probably will not appear soon. We wouldn't have believed it ourselves if it weren't for these unique photos of Iran before the Islamic Revolution.

1. Like Ataturk in Turkey, Shah Reza Pahlavi undertook a number of reforms aimed at turning Iran into a modern Europeanized state.

2. These reforms included the structuring of Iran around a central Persian identity, the often brutal suppression of religious discontent, and the empowerment of women.

3. In particular, women were encouraged to attend school and receive an education.

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5. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, his wife and little Princess Shahnaz, Tehran, Iran, 1942.

6. Closed clothing for women was abolished, which, of course, caused discontent among the Shiite clergy.

7. The royal family set the direction for Westernization by personal example. In the photo, the Empress Soraya.

8. Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida and her husband pose for a photographer with Iranian athletes, Persia, May 20, 1963.

9. Winston Churchill with the Shah and the Queen at his official London residence.

10. Several color photographs of Tehran at that time.

11. Swimming pool in the guest house of the Iranian National Oil Company.

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13. Tehran, July 1971.