For decades, the most comprehensive scholarly knowledge on Iranian history and culture lived primarily on library shelves, bound in heavy volumes and accessible mainly to specialists. Today, that knowledge is being reimagined at UC Irvine. Through the work of the Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture and its stewardship of Encyclopædia Iranica, a foundational academic resource is moving beyond the archive and into a more public, global future.
The encyclopedia project marks a defining moment in the Jordan Center’s continued growth, which is now housed at UC Irvine. Led by Dr. Touraj Daryaee, Professor of History, the center serves as an interdisciplinary academic and cultural hub that treats Persian studies not as a closed field, but as a living conversation. Alongside lectures, conferences, and scholarly publications, the Center hosts poetry readings, music performances, cultural celebrations, and public events that invite a wide range of audiences into engagement with Persian history and culture. In doing so, it bridges rigorous academic research with lived cultural experience, welcoming students, scholars, and community members alike.
Founded in the 1970s by the late scholar Ehsan Yarshater, Encyclopædia Iranica is one of the most comprehensive and authoritative scholarly resources in Iranian studies. With nearly 10,000 peer-reviewed entries written by experts across disciplines and continents, the encyclopedia documents Iranian history and culture from ancient civilizations to modern artistic, intellectual, and political movements. For Dr. Arya Moknat, operations manager for both the Jordan Center and Encyclopædia Iranica, the scale of the project is difficult to overstate. “Iranica is the biggest academic enterprise in Iranian studies, inside or outside Iran,” he said. Each entry undergoes a rigorous peer-review process and is written by leading scholars in the field.
While Encyclopædia Iranica has long stood as a monumental print achievement, its arrival at UCI has allowed the Jordan Center to rethink how this body of knowledge can adapt to a digital age. One of the Center’s most significant priorities is transitioning the encyclopedia into a more visible, usable, and inclusive digital platform. “We just wanted to make it more accessible,” Dr. Moknat explained, “not only to scholars, but to people who are interested in learning about Iran and Iranian culture.” This shift marks a philosophical change in how scholarship is shared. Through a redesigned website and expanded online publication, audiences now encounter Encyclopædia Iranica in ways that extend far beyond the academic library. Dr. Moknat noted that even modest digital updates have significantly increased traffic and visibility, signaling a broader public demand for reliable, in-depth knowledge of Persian history and culture. What once required access to specialized collections can now reach students, educators, and readers across the world.
For the Jordan Center, this work positions UCI not only as a home for Encyclopædia Iranica, but reflects its larger mission as an active steward shaping how Persian studies will be accessed and understood in the years ahead. While the Center continues to host highly technical academic conferences that have international reach, Dr. Moknat emphasized the Center’s effort to balance highly specialized scholarship with programming designed for broader audiences. Cultural events such as poetry nights, music performances, and holiday celebrations provide alternative pathways into Persian studies, allowing people to connect emotionally as well as intellectually.
The Center’s location in Southern California strengthens this mission. Home to one of the largest Iranian communities outside Iran, the region offers a powerful context for engagement that extends beyond the university. The Jordan Center regularly welcomes community members to campus, fostering dialogue between academic scholarship and personal histories. According to Dr. Moknat, this connection is essential. “People want to learn more about their history and culture, and they want accurate information,” he emphasized. Accuracy, Dr. Moknat emphasized, is particularly important given how Persian history is often filtered through political narratives. Persian civilization has influenced neighboring regions for centuries, shaping religious traditions, literature, architecture, music, and philosophy across Central Asia and the Middle East. “Once you learn about it,” he said, “you realize how much influence it has had on the world.”
As the Jordan Center for Persian Studies continues to grow, Encyclopædia Iranica stands as both a cornerstone of scholarly rigor and a symbol of the Center’s evolving mission. Together, they reflect a commitment to knowledge that is precise yet accessible, historical yet urgent. In opening one of the world’s most significant academic resources to new audiences, the Jordan Center invites readers not only to learn about Persian civilization, but to recognize its enduring presence in the world today.
By Alyssa Hernandez, English 2026, and Fall 2025 Communications Intern
Photo, from left to right: Melissa DePierro, Negin Kaykha, Mateo Farzaneh, Simin Amini, Arya Moknat, Touraj Daryaee, Amirali Ardekanian, Layah Ziaii-Bigdeli, Mark Gradoni