The Legacy of Miss Persia: Beauty Pageants and Iconic Winners Before the 1979 Revolution
4. Taraneh Keyser (1978): The Final Miss Iran Before the Revolution
Taraneh Keyser’s crowning in 1978 as the Most Worthy Girl of Iran was a bittersweet moment in Iranian beauty pageant history. Her win represented the culmination of a 13-year tradition that was about to end with the 1979 revolution. At 18, Keyser competed against 20 finalists and earned a score of 19 out of 20, as well as public votes from 42,000 readers of Zan Rooz magazine.
Held at the Tehran Hilton Hotel, the event highlighted the elegance of Iranian pageantry one final time, with Taraneh’s win celebrated widely. During the same event, another contestant, Mino Jafarian, won the Girl of Intelligence title, reflecting the contest’s dedication to recognizing beauty alongside intellect. The ceremony was one of the last major public displays of such events in Iran, making Keyser’s title an emblem of a bygone era.
Today, her story is often revisited as a reminder of the progressive beauty and intelligence that were celebrated in Iran’s pre-revolution society.
November 5, 2024 | 10:43 pm