History

In the early 1970s, Ehsan Yarshater, then Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies at Columbia University initiated the Encyclopædia Iranica project as a comprehensive Iranian Studies reference work. Professor Yarshater’s objective was to provide specialists on Iran with a platform for the publication of research outside highly specialized journals, while giving scholars in related fields, as well as the general public, access to knowledge about the Iranian civilization.

In 1982, the first fascicle of the Encyclopædia Iranica was published. As of August 2020, 16 volumes have appeared in print, with entries ranging from “Āb” to “Kešaʾi Dialect.” In 1996, the Encyclopædia Iranica launched its first website, iranica.com, to provide free access to pdf files of previously published fascicles. In 2009, Encyclopædia Iranica began developing its current website. Since 2010, this website has provided readers with easy access to all entries through full-text searches. As of August 2020, the online version comprised over 8,900 entries, of which about 850 entries are available only on the internet. The Encyclopaedia Iranica Foundation is committed to the on-going development of the print and digital versions of the Encyclopædia Iranica as well as, contingent upon adequate funding, open access to the Iranica website. The print edition, however, is currently being prioritized since the long-term preservation of digitally born contents remains a challenge.

Since its inception, the Encyclopædia Iranica project has received funding from independent grant-making agencies, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). In 1990, the non-for-profit Encyclopædia Iranica Foundation was established to guarantee the project’s intellectual independence and secure its long-term viability.

Revised August 2020