PERSIA

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrians believe that there is one universal, transcendent, supreme god, Ahura Mazda, or the 'Wise Lord'.(Ahura means 'Being' and Mazda means 'Mind' in Avestan language). Humata, Hukhta, Huvarshta (Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds) are the basic tenets of the religion. Zoroastrianism ... also called Zarathustraism, Mazdaism and Magianism, is an ancient Iranian religion ..  once the state religion of the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sasanian empires. Zoroaster's ideas ... have influenced other later religions including Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity and Islam. Zoroastrians usually pray in the presence of some form of fire (which can be considered evident in any source of light), and the culminating rite of the principle act of worship constitutes a "strengthening of the waters". Fire is considered a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom is gained, and water is considered the source of that wisdom. Present-day Iran Many aspects of Zoroastrianism are present in the culture and mythologies of the peoples of the Greater Iran, not least because Zoroastrianism was a dominant influence on the people of the cultural continent for a thousand years. Even after the rise of Islam and the loss of direct influence, Zoroastrianism remained part of the cultural heritage of the Iranian language-speaking world, in part as festivals and customs ... SOURCE  EXTRACTS - WIKIPEDIA

If I've got this straight, there appears to be an ancient connection between the people of Iran and people of northern India:

The early Iranians are commonly identified with the descendants of the Proto-Indo-Europeans ... and their homeland with an area of the Eurasian steppe that borders the Ural River on the west, the Tian Shan on the east. 

Historical linguists broadly estimate that a continuum of Indo-Iranian languages probably began to diverge by 2000 BC ... preceding both the Vedic and Iranian cultures.

[wikipedia]

The early Persian's religion and traditions appear to pre-date and to influence modern religions.

Here's a bit of background on Persia (Iran):

The name of Iran is .. Modern Persian .. from the Proto-Iranian term Aryānā, meaning "Land of the Aryans", first attested in Zoroastrianism's Avesta tradition.  

...

Historically Iran has been referred to as "Persia" or similar (La Perse, Persien, Perzië, etc.) by the Western world, mainly due to the writings of Greek historians who called Iran Persis  ... meaning land of the Persians. 

Zoroastrianism, was the state religion of the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sasanian empires. It was an ancient Iranian religion, the first monotheistic religion in the world, and has influenced other later religions including Judaism, Gnosticism, Christianity and Islam. Zoroastrians in Iran are the oldest religious community of the nation, with a long history continuing up to the present day. After the fall of the Sasanian Zoroastrian empire by the Muslim conquest of Persia, Zoroastrians have periodically faced extreme religious oppression including forced conversions, massacres, harassment, and other forms of discrimination.

Today, religion in Iran is dominated by the Twelver Shia branch of Islam, which is the official state religion and to which about 90% to 95% of Iranians belong.

Check out this link to see the wiki on the ancient city of Persepolis - here - it's so beautiful and haunting.

It's almost as if you can reach out and touch the ancient world.