Notable Georgians of Iran
Many direct and indirect members of Safavid family had some Georgian background. Heydar Ali, third son of Tahmasp I, was the son of a Georgian slave. Mustafa, fourth son of Tahmasp I, was the son of a Georgian princess.
Allahverdi Khan Undiladze, whom the famous landmark of 33 pol in Isfahan is named after, was among the Georgian elite that were involved in the Safavid government. Also his son Emam-gholi Khan Undiladze, who defeated the Portuguese army in the Persian Gulf was a famous Iranian Georgian serving the Safavid empire. Other famous Georgians of Safavid empire were Daud Khan Undiladze, Gorgin Khan, Rostam Khan the Sepahsalar, Parsadan Gorgijanidze, Siyâvash, and Yusef Khan-e Gorji the Sepahdar, who established modern Arak.
Amin al-Sultan, Prime Minister of Iran, was also a Georgian. He was the son of a Georgian father. Manucheher Khan Motamed-od-Dowleh and General Bahram Aryana were other famous Iranian Georgians.
The names of actors Cyrus Gorjestani and Sima Gorjestani, as well as the late Nematollah Gorji, suggest that they are/were (at least from the paternal side) of Georgian origin. Also the Mazandarani poet Nima Yooshij had Georgian roots. It is believed that Reza Shah Pahlavi's grandmother was a Georgian (from Mazandaran). The Iranian-Australian University Professor in Organisational Psychology and Applied Statistics, Dr Leila Karimi born in a Georgian Family (originally known as Goginashvili) in Esfahan. Mahmoud Karimi (Mahmud Karimi Sibaki), an Iranian football striker who plays for Sepahan F.C. (Esfahan) in the Iranian Premier Football League is the most famous Iranian Georgian football player in Iran. The Iranian-Canadian historian Kaveh Farrokh has Georgian roots. Another contemporary figure of partial Georgian background is the Iranian-American harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani.
For a more lengthy discussion on Georgians and Persia refer to.
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