Iran's Facebook Top Ten

Facebook matters most everywhere. But in Iran, where the state state restricts what its citizens can say, do, and wear in public space, the social networking site carries an oversize cultural significance. It functions as as a virtual salon for young people eager to socialize without hassle (there are now photographers who specialize in Facebook portraits, and concerned parents patrol what their daughters wear “on” their pages). It is a place to vent and discuss political and civic grievances, from the cutting down of historic trees on Tehran's Vali Asr Boulevard to concerns about domestic violence in popular cinema. It is where fashion designers who are pushing the limits of the regime's dress codes feature their work, and where beloved political satirists turned national celebrities connect with hundreds of thousands of fans.

As ever, this influence has some authorities in Iran concerned. Conservatives websites have termed the adjective “Facebooky” to describe the dangerous gatherings purportedly organized on the site, and the Friday prayer leader of Birjand recently likened the effect of the site to drugs, “destroying our society from within.” But President-elect Rouhani has described Facebook as a “welcome phenomenon” whose potential should be understood and put to positive use.

Amidst all this controversy, we though it would be instructive to calculate the top ten most popular Iranian Facebook sites, to see what all the fuss is about. The results broadly speak for themselves,  reflecting a taste for polished, Westernized entertainment, political satire that lampoons the authorities and demands government accountability, and homespun rap that bemoans the deprivation and lack of opportunity Iranian young people face. In our extended list, we include the most popular sites up to twenty, and also across categories. The extended list includes popular sites with a penchant for bitterness (the page “And This Is A Country We Have?” has over 300k likes) and nostalgia for better times. As perhaps to be expected, racy sites are popular, and religious ones less so. But we leave you to peruse, and draw your own conclusions. It's a Facebooky world after all.

1. Manoto TV (TV Network) - 1,275,901 Likes
This UK-based entertainment network has rapidly dominated the Iranian market, with flagship  shows like Googoosh Music Aacademy and Befarmayid Sham (Welcome to Dinner), modelled on Western cooking and reality television.
2. Ebi (Singer) - 1,234,391 Likes
Exiled since the 1979 Revolution, the beloved pop star is a favourite among multiple generations and in 2009 composed a song in tribute to Iranians' dashed electoral aspirations.
3. Parazit (Political Show, Currently Off-Air) - 1,146,100 Likes
Easily the most significant Iranian television phenomenon in decades, the political satire described as the Iranian Daily Show became a household habit for millions of Iranians addicted to its biting, irreverent send-up of the ruling authorities.
4. YAS (Rapper) - 1,026,342 Likes
Yas seems young for an Iranian rapper, but his mellow lyrics focus on the struggles of Iran's blighted post-revolutionary generation and their nationalist identification with the country's pre-Islamic Persian identity.
5. Shadmehr Aghili (Singer) - 1,020,222 Likes
A younger musician/singer whose career began in Iran but, like most, eventually led him to emigrate abroad.
6. Dariush Eghbali (Singer) - 1,014,267 Likes
Morose singer of long-standing fame, Dariush's depressive odes to the pains of exile, war, and dislocation make him a favourite of those who like dwelling on everything that has gone wrong.
7. Golshifteh Farahani (Actor) - 973,341 Likes
This popular actor is best known for her roles in blockbuster films like Asghar Farhadi's About Elly, but has been vilified by the Iranian authorities for posing topless in a French magazine.
8. Radio Javan (Radio Station) - 858,532 Likes
US-based pop radio station, translated as Youth Radio, broadcasting round the clock pop music, both Iranian and international.
9. Googoosh (Singer) - 837,895 Likes
The pop diva is as emblematic of Iran as a pomegranate, a national star both before and after the revolution who remade herself in her fifties upon leaving Iran. Her namesake show Googoosh Music Academic, broadcast on Manoto, is followed by millions inside Iran.
10. Mehran Modiri (Director , Actor) - 789,607 Likes
The only figure on the list working inside the country, Modiri is an actor-director whose numerous soap operas have been the mainstay of state television, at times pushing the boundaries of permissible social critique.

EXTENDED LIST 

TOP 20 ACROSS ALL GENRES
1. Manoto TV (TV Network) - 1,275,901 Likes
2. Ebi (Singer) - 1,234,391 Likes
3. Parazit (Political Show, Currently Off-Air) - 1,146,100 Likes
4. YAS (Rapper) – 1,026,342 Likes
5. Shadmehr Aghili (Singer) - 1,020,222 Likes
6. Dariush Eghbali (Singer) - 1,014,267 Likes 
7. Golshifteh Farahani (Actor) - 973,341 Likes 
8. Radio Javan (Radio Station) - 858,532 Likes
9. Googoosh (Singer) - 837,895 Likes
10. Mehran Modiri (Director, Actor) - 789,607 Likes 
11. Aks haye didani va jaleb Giness (Interesting and Strange Guinness World Records) - 763,926 Likes
12. BBC Persian (News Network) - 721,885 Likes
13. Siavash Ghomayshi (Singer) - 691,816 Likes
14. Ehsan Khaje Amiri (Singer) – 639,194 Likes
15. Bia2 (Music TV Network) - 616,963 Likes
16. Mohammed Reza Shajjarian (Classical Singer) - 585,430 Likes
17. Hossein Tohi (Rapper) - 584,696 Likes
18. Mamlekate darim? (And This Is a Country We Have?) - 574,922 Likes
19. Kambiz Hosseini (Satirist, former host of Parazit, now Poletik) - 510,230 Likes
20. Hooman khalatbari - 517,193 Likes

SPORTS
1. Perspolis Football Club - 325,303 Likes
2. Esteghlal Football Club - 226,095 Likes
3. Hamed Haddadi - 101,524 Likes
4. Naser Hejazi - 84,487 Likes
5. Iran Pro League Football Highlights - 75,625 Likes
6. Ali Karimi - 55,075 Likes 
7. Iran National Football Team - 78,350 Likes
8. Ali Daei - 43,659 Likes 
9. Maryam Toosi - 46,634 Likes 

MUSICIANS/ACTORS 
1. Ebi - 1,234,391 Likes
2. YAS - 1,026,342 Likes
3. Shadmehr Aghili - 1,020,222 Likes
4. Dariush Eghbali - 1,014,267 Likes 
5. Googoosh - 837,895 Likes
6. Siavash Ghomayshi - 691,816 Likes
7. Ehsan Khaje Amiri - 639,194 Likes
8. Mohammed Reza Shajjarian - 585,430 Likes
9. Hossein Tohi - 584,696 Likes
10. Hooman khalatbari - 517,193 Likes
11.Shahin Najafi - 480,015 Likes 
12. Amir Tataloo - 439,782 Likes
13. 25Band - 397,313 Likes
14. Sirvan Khosravi - 392,594 Likes
15. Sami Beigi - 387,968 Likes
16. ZedBazi - 376,720 Likes
17. Erfan - 360,676 Likes
18. Homayoun Shajarian - 346,473 Likes
19. Barobax - 345,463 Likes
20. Afshin - 307,540 Likes 
21. Mohsen Namjoo - 296,132 Likes
22. XaniaR - 277,254 Likes
23. Tm Bax - 247,148 Likes
24. Hichkas - 230,887 Likes 

MEDIA/NEWS
1. Manoto TV - 1,275,901 Likes
2. Parazit (Currently Off-Air) - 1,146,100 Likes
3. Radio Javan - 858,532 Likes
4. BBC Persian - 721,885 Likes
5. Bia2 - 616,963 Likes
6. Kambiz Hosseini - 510,230 Likes
7. Radio Farda - 429,359 Likes
8. PMC (Persian Music Channel) - 408,189 Likes
9. Tehran Bureau - 307,964 Likes
10. Saman Arbabi - 231,780 Likes
11. VOA Persian - 119,731 Likes

MEDIA, FOR COMPARISON'S SAKE
1. I Hate I.R.I.B (Last updated in Sept 2012) - 14,039 Likes
2. Press TV (Last updated in Feb) - 6,961 Likes 
3. Mehr News Agency - 5,657 Likes 
4. Baztab Emrooz (Last updated in April) - 4,631 Likes
5. Khabar Online - 1,432 Likes
6. Fars News (Last update in Nov 2012) - 952 Likes 

ACTORS/ARTISTS
1.Golshifteh Farahani - 973,341 Likes 
2. Mehran Modiri (Fan Page) - 789,607 Likes 
3. Mana Neyestani (Fan Page) - 150,905 Likes  
4. Asghar Farhadi - 145,874 Likes
5. Bahram Radan - 136,779 Likes
6. Mohammad Reza Golzar (Fan Page) - 116,452 Likes 
7. Jafar Panahi - 88,032 Likes
8. Abbas Kiarostami - 87,932 Likes

REVOLUTIONARY FIGURES/POLITICANS
1. Ali Shariati - 382,793 Likes
2. Mir Hossein Mousavi -297,988 Likes
3. Farah Diba Pahlavi - 236,178 Likes
4. The Official Site of Reza Pahlavi - 165,220 Likes
5. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - 112,681 Likes
6. Mehdi Karroubi - 77,525 Likes
7. Mohammad Khatami - 76,818 Likes
8. Ayatollah Montazeri - 69,686 Likes
9. Hassan Rouhani - 59,965 Likes
10. Mohammad Mossadegh - 19,756 Likes

MAKING A STATEMENT 
1. female = male -  328,720 Likes
2. Mamlekate Darim (And This is a Country We Have?) - 574,922 likes
3. USAdarFarsi  - 140,102 Likes
4. Nasle sookhteh bad az enghelab (“The Burnt Generation of the Revolution”) - 136,437 Likes

POETS
1. Sohrab Sepehri - 548,821 Likes 
2. Forough Fourkhzad - 304,403 Likes
3. Sadegh Hedayat - 168,888 likes
4. Molana (Rumi) - 154,840 Likes
5. Hafez - 144,610 Likes
6. Saadi - 121,599 Likes
7. Shamloo (Ahmad Shamloo) - 114,293 Likes

ENTERTAINMENT/ RANDOM
1. Radio Javan - 858,532 Likes
2. Aks haye didani va jaleb Giness (Interesting and Strange Guinness World Records) - 763,926 Likes
3. Pesar Khale (Auntie’s son, TV Show) – 660,847 Likes
4. Cartoon dar zaman ma (Cartoons of our time/Nostalgia for 80's cartoons) - 658,786 Likes 
5. Jomleat be yad mandani (Memorable Phrases) 650,963 Likes
6. Jokhaye Tasviri (Picture Jokes/Funny pictures) - 633,252 Likes
7. Hey to! Midooni man asheghetam? (Hey you! Do you know that I love you?) 391,727 Likes
8. Tangoye eshgh (The Tango of Love) – 389,000
9. Mahze Khandeh (Pure Comedy) - 382,095  
10. Margbartarin havades Iran va Jahan (Deadly events in Iran and the world) - 356,632 Likes

PORN/EXPLICIT  
1. Paaf haye Irani (Hot Iranian guys) - 67,230 Likes
2. Daghtarin aks ha (The hottest pictures) - 46,905 Likes
3. Khoshghel Moshghela (The pretty ones) – 20,537 Likes
4. Iranian Duff’s (Hot Iranian girls) - 16,007 Likes
5. Sexy Iranian Girls - 15,668 Likes

RELIGIOUS
1. Imam Reza Shrine (Masaad) - 1,598 Likes
2. Asheghon va Hafezon velayat faghih (Lovers and protectors of the Islamic Jurisprudence) - 872 Likes

HEALTH/FITNESS/SELF HELP
1. Vaghti (When…) - 240,488 Likes
2. Tanaseb andom, tafzie, lezat va khvas bi nazeer, massage va varzesh (Fitness, nutrition, pleasure, and unique massage and exercises) - 183,720 Likes
3. Anjoman badan sazi va fitnoos Iran (The body building and fitness organization of Iran) - 163,629 Likes

CULTURE 
1. MAHAK (Iranian Charity) - 264,526 Likes
2. Cyrus the Great (Koorosh'e Kabir) - 79,753 Likes

In compiling this extended list, Hanif Kashani, who conducted the research, relied on the excellent source Pagebaan, and also Socialbakers. Check out Pagebaan especially for even more detailed lists across multiple categories.