12 years ago I stayed in Tehran, Iran for a good couple of months. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. But the thing I won’t forget the most there are the women and how beautiful they were. You see, Iranian women are, for me, the most beautiful in the world. And no, I am not exaggerating. And that is the reason why we came up with this listicle. To show all of you how gorgeous these women are.
So let’s start. In no particular order of hotness and beauty, of course.
Nazanin Boniadi
Nazanin Boniadi is a British actress and activist. Her film and television credits demonstrate her versatility, encompassing a wide range of genres including drama, comedy, sci-fi, fantasy, and action. She recently played Bronwyn in the first season of Amazon’s global smash series adaptation The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022), in which she co-starred with J.K. Simmons and appeared in the critically acclaimed Starz series Counterpart (2017).
Born in Tehran in the immediate aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, Boniadi’s parents moved to London, England, where she was reared with a focus on education. Boniadi was active with theatre early in life, but later decided she wanted to be a doctor. She moved to the United States at the age of 19 to study at the University of California, Irvine, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences with Honors (Dean’s Academic Achievement and Service Award) and the “Chang Pin Chun” Undergraduate Research Award for her work on heart transplant rejection and cancer research.
Nazanin is the great-great-granddaughter of the renowned 19th-century Persian philosopher and poet Hajj Mirza Hasan Isfahani, also known as Hazrat Safi Ali Shah. She was nominated for an NAACP Image Award in 2008 for her performance on the iconic American soap opera General Hospital.
Mahlagha Jaberi
Mahlagha is a model and social media sensation with over 4.4 million followers on her Instagram account, ‘mahlaghajaberi‘. She is most recognized for modeling international couture designers like as Phillip Plein, Guess, Michael Costello, and Marc Jacobs. She’s also modeled for Posh Designs, Miss Holly Clothing, and Walter Mendez.
She was born June 17, 1989, in Isfahan, Iran. She lived in Iran until she was 18 and then relocated to San Diego, California. Mahlagha originally intended to pursue a career in the arts, but when modeling offers flooded in, she opted to become a model instead.
Mahlagha Jaberi stirred controversy at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 26, 2023, when she wore a dress with a noose around her neck to protest Iranian executions. Her clothing, designed by Jila Atelier, included the words “Stop Executions” on the back, which Cannes security made her cover. Mahlagha even posted photographs and a video on social media to highlight Iran’s executions, violating Cannes’ prohibition on political remarks. In contrast, the outfit elicited a range of opinions. While some commended Mahlagha’s boldness, others accused her of being insensitive.
Nasanin Nuri
Nasanin Nuri was a little child when she left Iran for Switzerland, but she never imagined becoming Miss Earth Switzerland. Nonetheless, she won her first pageant in 2008, at the age of 21. She is also a well-known writer and performer, with credits including Forbidden Power (2018), Where Am I (2017), and Hereafter (2020).
Nasanin enjoys boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, weightlifting, snowboarding, and ice skating. She has expressed an interest in acting in action films.
“I would love to be in an action film. It would be amazing to play a villain, or a badass woman you don’t wanna mess around with! I was on a hard program for athletes and was training with a coach one on one for about 3 months, for a short film that I shot. It is about my fight as a woman in this world. It was hard work. We shot everything in one day. I was totally beaten up at the end of the shoot, I had to lift, exercise, and fight all day long.”
Claudia Lynx
Shaghayegh Claudia Lynx is a model, actress, and singer who is among the most well-known Iranian ladies. She is better known as Shaghayegh, the singer. She was born in 1982, and her mother died shortly thereafter. When Claudia was three months old, her family moved to Norway. Claudia is a dialect coach, model, singer, and professional translator.
By the age of three, she had become a child star after appearing in TV ads for children’s food. Claudia Lynx was 15 years old when she got the opportunity to model for Levi Strauss & Co. (a private textile trading company).
In 2001, at the age of 19, she was named The Best Print and Fashion Model by Canadian Search Miss Universe. Her acting credits include appearances in The West Wing – In the Center of Power, Legion of the Dead, Succubus: Hell-Bent, and Lady Magdalene’s.
Elnaz Shakerdoost
This Iranian actress has garnered numerous awards, including the Crystal Simorgh, three Hafez Awards, and two Iran Film Critics and Writers Association Awards.
Elnaz Shakerdoost was born on June 27, 1984, in Tehran, Iran. She is the second child in her family, with an elder brother and a younger sister. Before entering the entertainment industry, she worked in student theaters, but none of them were performed in public. During her scholastic years, she also participated in student theater. In 1997, she received the Best Actress Award at the Student Fajr Festival.
In 2016, she acted in the films The Mobarak and Khafegi. In 2024, she starred in the criminal drama Bodiless. She debuted as an actress in Kiumars Poorahmad’s film “Ice Flower (2005)”. She appeared in five films in less than a year in 2004 and was nominated for Simorghe Bolourin in 2007.
Mariam Zakaria
Maryam Zakaria, a Swedish-Iranian actress, dancer, and model, was born in Tehran, Iran. She was raised in Sweden and rose to prominence as a dancer, particularly in Bollywood and Indian styles. Her love of dance inspired her to pursue a career in the Indian film business.
In addition to her Bollywood roles, Maryam Zakaria has appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. She has demonstrated her versatility by taking on roles in a variety of genres, showcasing both her acting and dance abilities.
Maryam’s career has expanded beyond films, with roles on numerous reality shows and theater acts. Her engaging personality and multicultural upbringing have contributed to her success, making her a well-known figure in the entertainment business.
Trivia: She worked as a model, dance teacher, and choreographer in Sweden. Mariam also founded the Indisk Dans facility, Sweden’s first dance facility to teach Bollywood dance.
Sahar Biniaz
Sahar is a Canadian actress, model, and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe Canada in 2012. She played Kali, the Hindu goddess of power, on the successful television show Sanctuary.
Sahar Biniaz was born in Bangalore, Karnataka, India, to Iranian parents. She grew up in Iran before moving with her family to Vancouver, Canada, where she became a naturalized Canadian citizen. She graduated with honors from the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in Los Angeles.
Sahar Biniaz was 14 when he was mauled by his family’s pit dog. As a result, in 2012, she decided to join the fight for pit bull control and “plans to make the effort a major part of her [Miss Universe Canada] reign… noting that with her Miss Universe Canada title, she now has a voice to bring more awareness to this issue.” She became the target of vitriol from pit bull advocates, who lobbied the Miss Universe organization to strip her of her title for speaking out.
Aylar Lie
Aylar Lie is a model, actress, singer, and former pornographic actress with dual Iranian-Norwegian citizenship. She was born in Tehran, Iran, on February 12, 1984. She was just three years old when her family relocated to Norway, but it wasn’t long before her parents separated and she was left in the care of Child Protective Services.
She achieved remarkable prominence as a participant in Norwegian Big Brother. Aylar began her career in the adult film industry, appearing in ten films between 2002 and 2003. After that, she terminated that stage of her career and began modeling.
She was a top contender for Miss Norway in 2004, but she was disqualified for appearing in adult films. She has had a great career in television, featuring in Forst & Sist (2005), Rikets Rost (2007), and Skal vi Dance (2010).
Shermine Shahrivar
This stunning Iranian-German model won Miss Europe 2005. Shermine Shahrivar was born to Iranian parents on September 17, 1982. Her family relocated to Germany when she was one year old. Her mother and brothers live in Germany. She was raised speaking German and Persian, and she is also proficient in French and English. Shahrivar holds a university degree in social sciences.
Shermine was crowned Miss Germany in 2004 and then earned the overall title of Miss Europe in 2005 while competing in France. In March 2005, she was chosen to host the Nowruz festival in Oberhausen, Germany, which is claimed to be the world’s largest. She hosted Traumpartner TV in Germany from December 2004 until August 2005.
Nazanin Mandi
The lovely American actress, model, singer, and life coach was born on September 11, 1986, in Santa Clarita, California, USA. She has Persian, Mexican, Spanish, and Native American ancestry. Her father is Iranian and her mother is Latin American. She began modeling at the age of ten when a photographer spotted her at an In-N-Out Burger.
When Nazanin Mandi became a professional model, she signed with Wilhelmina Models in Los Angeles. She has modeled for publications such as GQ India, Esquire Malaysia, and Galore. As an actress, she has appeared in That’s So Raven, R U The Girl, and The Last Conception.
Mandi suffered from body dysmorphia, depression, and anxiety, the latter of which included panic attacks. She freely shares conquering her mental and eating disorders in order to promote self-love and foster inclusive mental health conversations. In August 2019, Mandi appeared on BET’s “Body of Work” program, where she discussed ending her diet pill habit and her road to healthy weight maintenance. Mandi stated in February 2020 that she was going to become a life coach and launch a new self-empowerment program.