Tehran has been home to countless figures who have shaped Iranian culture, science, and global politics.
* **Abbas Kiarostami:** Internationally acclaimed, Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker who helped define the Iranian New Wave. * **Shirin Ebadi:** Nobel Peace Prize-winning lawyer and human rights activist who practiced in Tehran. * **Asghar Farhadi:** Two-time Academy Award-winning film director (*A Separation*, *The Salesman*). * **Ali Daei:** Legendary football player and former captain of the Iranian national team, who held the global record for most international goals for over a decade. * **Mohammad Mosaddegh:** The democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran, a central figure in the city's 20th-century political history. * **Marjane Satrapi:** Acclaimed graphic novelist and filmmaker (*Persepolis*), whose work chronicles her formative years growing up in Tehran.
