TEHRAN — Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi said the Safavid dynasty played a decisive role in preserving Iran’s territorial integrity and national identity, describing the period as a “renaissance” rather than merely the rule of a royal dynasty.
Speaking at a ceremony marking Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili Day in the northwestern city of Ardabil, Salehi said the emergence of the Safavids transformed Iran during a period of political fragmentation that followed the Mongol invasions.
“Had the Safavids not emerged, it is uncertain what fate Iran would have faced,” he said, adding that the dynasty helped ensure the country’s survival despite historical challenges.
Salehi said Shah Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid state, reunified Iran between 1501 and 1510, restoring centralized rule across territory stretching from the Aras River to the Persian Gulf and re-establishing Iran as a prominent political entity.
He said that the dynasty not only reunited the country geographically but also revived key elements of Iranian cultural identity. 
Among its achievements, he highlighted official patronage of the Shahnameh, the Persian national epic, including the production of the lavishly illustrated Shah Tahmasp Shahnameh, widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of Persian manuscript art.