A History of Iran: From c.550BC-c.1900 (With V & A visit)
Join us for a brief introduction tothe history ofIranand its civilization, from c.550 BC through to 1900. A morning lecture will be followed by an afternoon visit to the V&A in South Kensington.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
We will briefly cover the ancient Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanian Empires; the Arab conquest ofIran, the Safavid Empire and the Qajar Empire; and key events/empires in the history ofIranfrom c.550 BC through to 1900.The second half of this Study day will take place at the V&A. We will look at some key objects of material culture at the museum, helping us to contextualise the social, political and economic history ofIrangained during the morning session.
What will we cover?
Key events/empires in the history ofIranfrom c.550 BC to c.19thcentury CE.
Brief coverage of the ancient Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanian Empires.
Brief coverage of the Arab conquest ofIran, the Safavid Empire and the Qajar Empire.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Gain a chronological overview ofIranian history. • Name key leaders and dynasties that ruledIranover time. • Contextualize key museum objectsconnected with the various times and places studied.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will be taught with a mixture of lectures and group discussion at City Lit/Keeley Street in the first half of this Study Day. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course. Then we will proceed to the V&A for an in depth look at key objects of material culture to enable us to contextualize the history we studied during the morning session.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Lecture/discussions/museum visit.
Offsite courses take place during public access hours. Tutors are not able to control sound levels or behaviours of visitors outside of the course group, gallery closures or fire alarms. Unless you are a wheelchair user, and have confirmed access details with us (as levels of access can vary between buildings), you will need to be able to walk between sites and stand for some time while looking at them (you may bring your own portable stool if you have one, but we cannot guarantee access to seating offsite.)
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Please see the Middle-East and North Africa area of our website.
We’re sorry. We don’t have a bio ready for the tutor of this class at the moment, but we’re working on it! Watch this space.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/a-history-of-iran-from-c-550bc-c-1900-with-v-a-visit2842467A History of Iran: From c.550BC-c.1900 (With V & A visit)https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/intro-to-philosophy-1024.jpg6969GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/The Middle East & North Africa228511771178135601228511771178<p>Join us for a brief introduction tothe history ofIranand its civilization, from c.550 BC through to 1900. A morning lecture will be followed by an afternoon visit to the V&A in South Kensington.</p><p></p><p></p>002842431A History of Iran: From c.550BC-c.1900 (With V & A visit)6969https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/intro-to-philosophy-1024.jpgInStockDaytimeSatKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2026-04-25T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allApr 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHWH2546969A History of Iran: From c.550BC-c.1900 (With V & A visit)554569T Hussaina-history-of-iran-from-c-550bc-c-1900-with-v-a-visit/hwh254-2526<p>Join us for a brief introduction tothe history ofIranand its civilization, from c.550 BC through to 1900. A morning lecture will be followed by an afternoon visit to the V&A in South Kensington.</p><p></p><p></p>0000-Available|2026-04-25 00:00:00<p>We will briefly cover the ancient Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanian Empires; the Arab conquest ofIran, the Safavid Empire and the Qajar Empire; and key events/empires in the history ofIranfrom c.550 BC through to 1900.The second half of this Study day will take place at the V&A. We will look at some key objects of material culture at the museum, helping us to contextualise the social, political and economic history ofIrangained during the morning session.</p><p>Join us for a brief introduction tothe history ofIranand its civilization, from c.550 BC through to 1900. A morning lecture will be followed by an afternoon visit to the V&A in South Kensington.</p><p></p><p></p><ul><li><p>Key events/empires in the history ofIranfrom c.550 BC to c.19thcentury CE.</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Brief coverage of the ancient Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanian Empires.</p></li><li><p>Brief coverage of the Arab conquest ofIran, the Safavid Empire and the Qajar Empire.</p></li></ul><p>• Gain a chronological overview ofIranian history.<br>• Name key leaders and dynasties that ruledIranover time.<br>• Contextualize key museum objectsconnected with the various times and places studied.</p><p>This course is suitable for all levels.You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.</p><p>The course will be taught with a mixture of lectures and group discussion at City Lit/Keeley Street in the first half of this Study Day. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course. Then we will proceed to the V&A for an in depth look at key objects of material culture to enable us to contextualize the history we studied during the morning session.</p><p>Lecture/discussions/museum visit.</p><p>Offsite courses take place during public access hours. Tutors are not able to control sound levels or behaviours of visitors outside of the course group, gallery closures or fire alarms. Unless you are a wheelchair user, and have confirmed access details with us (as levels of access can vary between buildings), you will need to be able to walk between sites and stand for some time while looking at them (you may bring your own portable stool if you have one, but we cannot guarantee access to seating offsite.)</p><p>Please see the Middle-East and North Africa area of our website.</p>HistoryThe Middle East & North Africavirtual556945HWH254NONESat25/04/2610:30 - 17:3010:3017:301 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekendKSKeeley StreetT HussainBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-04-25T00:00:00+00:00Apr 2026Culture, history & humanities6969A History of Iran: From c.550BC-c.1900 (With V & A visit)a-history-of-iran-from-c-550bc-c-1900-with-v-a-visit/hwh254-2526<p>Join us for a brief introduction tothe history ofIranand its civilization, from c.550 BC through to 1900. A morning lecture will be followed by an afternoon visit to the V&amp;A in South Kensington.</p><p></p><p></p>0000-Available|2026-04-25 00:00:00<p>We will briefly cover the ancient Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanian Empires; the Arab conquest ofIran, the Safavid Empire and the Qajar Empire; and key events/empires in the history ofIranfrom c.550 BC through to 1900.The second half of this Study day will take place at the V&amp;A. We will look at some key objects of material culture at the museum, helping us to contextualise the social, political and economic history ofIrangained during the morning session.</p><p>Join us for a brief introduction tothe history ofIranand its civilization, from c.550 BC through to 1900. A morning lecture will be followed by an afternoon visit to the V&amp;A in South Kensington.</p><p></p><p></p><ul><li><p>Key events/empires in the history ofIranfrom c.550 BC to c.19thcentury CE.</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Brief coverage of the ancient Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian and Sassanian Empires.</p></li><li><p>Brief coverage of the Arab conquest ofIran, the Safavid Empire and the Qajar Empire.</p></li></ul><p>• Gain a chronological overview ofIranian history.<br>• Name key leaders and dynasties that ruledIranover time.<br>• Contextualize key museum objectsconnected with the various times and places studied.</p><p>This course is suitable for all levels.You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion.</p><p>The course will be taught with a mixture of lectures and group discussion at City Lit/Keeley Street in the first half of this Study Day. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course. Then we will proceed to the V&amp;A for an in depth look at key objects of material culture to enable us to contextualize the history we studied during the morning session.</p><p>Lecture/discussions/museum visit.</p><p>Offsite courses take place during public access hours. Tutors are not able to control sound levels or behaviours of visitors outside of the course group, gallery closures or fire alarms. Unless you are a wheelchair user, and have confirmed access details with us (as levels of access can vary between buildings), you will need to be able to walk between sites and stand for some time while looking at them (you may bring your own portable stool if you have one, but we cannot guarantee access to seating offsite.)</p><p>Please see the Middle-East and North Africa area of our website.</p>HistoryThe Middle East & North Africaconfigurable
135601178The Middle East & North Africahttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/history/the-middle-east-north-africa1/2/285/1177/1178/135601/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/The Middle East & North Africa
