In Persian, The world Iranian or Large Iran is called Iranzamin (ایرانزمین), which means "The land of Iran". Iranzamin was in mythical times opposed to Turanzamin, the "land of Turan", which was located in the northern part of Central Asia.
A founding story of Iranian culture, a mythical and historical epic, the Shahnameh Where Book of kings, was composed in Persian at the beginning of the 11th century by the poet Ferdowsi. The extent of the episodes described, since the creation of the world and the birth of civilization Persian pre-Islamic until the Arab conquest of Iran in the middle of the seventh century, makes it a work without equal in world literature.
Copied and illuminated almost uninterruptedly, it gave birth to a body of several thousand manuscripts and some of the finest miniatures in the history of Persian art.
Mythology of Greater Iran (texts)
- Kaiúmers
- Húsheng
- Tahmúres
- Jemshíd
- Mirtás-Tází, and His Son Zohák
- The Story of Jemshíd Resumed
- Kavah, the Blacksmith
- Feridún
- Feridún and His Three Sons
- Minúchihr
- Zál, the Son of Sám
- The Dream of Sám
- Rúdábeh
- Death of Minúchihr
- Nauder
- Afrásiyáb Marches against Nauder
- Afrásiyáb
- Zau
- Garshásp
- Kai-Kobád
- Kai-Káús
- The Heft-Khan; gold, Seven Labors of Rustem
- Invasion of Irán by Afrásiyáb
- The Return of Kai-Káús
- The Story of Sohráb
- The Story of Saiáwush
- Kai-Khosráu
- Akwán Díw
- The Story of Byzun and Maníjeh, the Daughter of Afrásiyáb
- Barzú, and His Conflict with Rustem
- Súsen the Sorceress, and Afrásiyáb
- The Expedition of Gúdarz against Afrásiyáb
- The Death of Afrásiyáb
- The Death of Kai-Khosráu
- Lohurásp
- Gushtásp, and the Faith of Zerdusht
- The Heft-Khan of Isfendiyár
- Capture of the Brazen Fortress and Death of Arjásp
- The Death of Isfendiyár
- The Death of Rustem
- Bahman
- Húmaí and the Birth of Dáráb
- Dáráb
- Dárá
- Sikander
- Makhzan-ol-Asrâr (مخزنالاسرار, 'The Treasury or Storehouse of Mysteries'), 1163 (some date it 1176)
- Khosrow o Shirin (خسرو و شیرین, 'Khosrow and Shirin'), 1177–1180
- Leyli o Majnun (لیلی و مجنون, 'Layla and Majnun'), 1192
- Eskandar-Nâmeh (اسکندرنامه, 'The Book of Alexander'), 1194 or 1196–1202
- Haft Peykar (هفت پیکر, 'The Seven Beauties'), 1197