Persophilia refers to the appreciation and love of the culture, people or history of Iran (Persia).
The earliest use of the word may have been by the Royal Numismatic Society in 1838; it referred to a king of Marium, in modern-day Cyprus. The opposite of Persophilia is anti-Persian sentiment or anti-Iranianism.
A painting of Cyrus the Great, one of the most admired figures in the history of Iran and the world
"Ibero-Sasanian" coin introduced by of Stephen I of Iberia. On the reverse there is a cross, symbol of Christianity, together with the Holy Fire (atar), the symbol of Zoroastrian faith and the Sasanian Empire.
Anti-Iranian sentiment or Iranophobia, also called anti-Persian sentiment or Persophobia, refers to feelings and expressions of hostility, hatred, discrimination, or prejudice towards Iranian people on the basis of an irrational disdain for their national and cultural affiliation. The opposite phenomenon, in which one holds notable feelings of love or interest towards Iranian people for the same reasons, is known as Iranophilia or Persophilia.
A man is raising a sign that reads "deport all Iranians, get the hell out of my country"during a 1979 Washington, DC, student protest of the Iran hostage crisis.
