The Persian Empire was, at one time, among the most advanced and powerful empires in the world. The Persian Empire began in 550 BC under its founder Cyrus the Great and thrived until the dynasty was interrupted  by the Islamic conquest of 651 AD. It was during this time that the Persians also established themselves as masters of invention and medicine. In fact, the Persians were so influential that many of the items invented during the time of Persian dynasties are still in use today.

Here are some Persian inventions that you probably weren’t aware were invented by Iranians that are still in use today (in some form):

Alcohol – That’s right, the same substance that is beloved by frat boys and considered by most Muslims to be haram was actually invented by Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi who was born in Rayy, Iran – a small city near the Caspian Sea situated near the capital city of Tehran. Abu Bakr is famous for many other important inventions and will be mentioned in further detail below.

Hookah – Hookahs were invented by the Safavids although the origin of the word hookah is a derivative of the Arabic term “huqqa” (حقّہ) since the pipes were heavily used by the Ottomans in the Levant and Egypt. The Persian Farsi word for hookah is قلیان.

Backgammon – This game was invented in Iran in approximately 3000 BC. Ancient Egyptians had a similar version of the game called Senet, but the Persians are still widely recognized as the inventors of backgammon. Iranians can still be found playing backgammon in public parks and cafes today all over Iran. The Persian Farsi word for backgammon is تخت نرد.

Gas Laser – A gas laser is a laser that is an electric current that is discharged through gas in order to produce a light. The first gas laser, the helium neon laser, was co-invented by the Iranian Ali Javan and it is most commonly used to produce holograms.

Early Refrigeration Methods – The Persians invented a type of evaporative cooler known as a Yakhchal (یخچال‎ in Persian Farsi) around 400 BCE that was a dome-shaped object used as a means of refrigeration. The items meant to be kept cool were stored in the subterranean part of this structure and since it had this subterranean space as well as heat-resistant materials, it was capable of storing ice or foods in the hot desert year-round. The yakhchals were made of a special mortar known as sarooj (ساروج) that is composed of dry sand, clay, egg whites, lime, goat hair, and ash. In present-day Iran, the term yakhchal (یخچال‎ ) is used to refer to modern household (and commercial) refrigerators.

Space-Time Block Code – This is a technique used in wireless communications in which the reliability of data transfer is increased by transmitting multiple copies of a data stream across multiple antennas. This invention, which was co-invented by Iranians Hamid Jafarkhani (حمید جعفرخانی) and Vahid Tarokh (وحید تارخ‎) improved error-rates over single-antenna systems.

Sulfuric Acid – Discovered by Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi, this substance became the work horse of chemical engineering and modern chemistry. Practical applications of sulfuric acid today are broad as the substance is used to make everything from fertilizers to detergents. The amount of sulfuric acid that a nation produces is also a good indicator of a nation’s industrial strength.

Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi is also well known as a pioneer in the areas of pediatrics, obstetrics, and ophthalmology. He was one of the first to favor cures through a corrected diet and regulated food intake, he was also a respected surgeon and the first that is known to have used opiates for anesthesia. Razi is also known as the man that formulated the first known description of smallpox. Razi was well ahead of his time in many respects and he always attempted to overthrow blind acceptance of the unchallenged authority of ancient Sages, encouraged and stimulated research and advances in the arts, technology, and sciences.