The Mazanderani of Iran

The Mazanderani of Iran, numbering approximately 4,390,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an Iranian ethnic group indigenous to the southern coast of the Caspian Sea in northern Iran, particularly Mazandaran Province, with communities also found in parts of Alborz, Golestan, Tehran, and Semnan provinces. They mostly adhere to Shia Islam and Mazanderani is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3 Flash: Mazanderani

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Persian-Median Peoples
Country: Iran
People Cluster: Persian
Primary Language(s): Mazanderani (mzn)
Primary Religion(s): Shia Islam
Population: 4,390,000
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG024191
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Mazanderani of Iran

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Shia Islam
Religious Affiliation: Islam

100%
%
Shia Islam Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Mazanderani
Language Family: Indo-European

100%
%
Mazandarani Speakers

Media Resources in Mazanderani:

Films:
TitleLink
MagdalenaView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Mazanderani:

No Bible resources are listed for this language.

Or check out the Mazanderani bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Mazanderani are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Mazanderani:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Mazanderani of Iran

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
readJohn 8:32

Pray for those who live enslaved to sin to hear and receive the truth of the gospel and be set free.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
readMatthew 13: 45-46

Pray that they will recognize the treasure of knowing Christ Jesus and be willing to give up everything else to gain Him.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
readPsalm 119:105

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will meditate daily on the Word of God so that, through it, they might have wisdom for the big and small decisions they face every day.

And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, "Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand."
readRomans 15:20-21

Pray that God will send believers to cross cultures and proclaim the gospel where Christ has not been named, so that the nations might glorify God for His mercy.

Mazanderani Across Countries (ROP3 - 106450) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

1 people group

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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