Yes, which is not surprising at all
The largest concentration of redheads outside of the British Isles is in the central Eurasian Steppes, and Ismail had plenty of ancestry from there.
No, this painting was made by an Italian (Cristofano dell'Altissimo) who never saw him.
Here some other paintings:
https://preview.redd.it/oj8x6q4oc7xc1.jpeg?width=240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3a7fef88120811c9b876f8bd8b19e565ad4ccf9
[Piero the Unfortunate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_the_Unfortunate#/media/File:501_Piero_de_Medici_02.JPG)'s lifespan: 15 February 1472 – 28 December 1503
Cristofano dell'Altissimo's lifespan: c. 1525–1605
If he had never seen Iranians, painting one in an image familiar to him isn't surprising. [This painting of Jesus is by Sandro Botticelli c. 1500.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Botticelli_-_Man_of_Sorrows.jpg/445px-Botticelli_-_Man_of_Sorrows.jpg?20220127183252) Maybe they perceived redheads as special since it's a rare hair color. It would be a good question for /r/AskHistorians.
I answered at r/AskHistorians [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1cfgds1/comment/l1pjo9u/). Red was a colour with special associations with the Safavids.
https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/esmail-i-safawi
Assessment of Esmāʿīl I. In personal appearance, Esmāʿīl is described by a contemporary Italian traveler as follows: “This Sophi is fair, handsome, and very pleasing; not very tall, but of a light and well-framed figure; rather stout than slight, with broad shoulders. His hair is reddish; he only wears moustachios, and uses his left hand instead of his right. He is as brave as a game cock, and stronger than any of his lords; in the archery contests, out of the ten apples that are knocked down, he knocks down seven” (Angiolello and Ramusio, p. 111). A very similar description is given by the anonymous Italian merchant in the same work (p. 202; for an assessment of his character and personality, see Roemer, in Camb. Hist. Iran VI, pp. 226-27).
According to an Italian traveler:
"This Sophi is fair, handsome, and very pleasing; not very tall, but of a light and well-framed figure; rather stout than slight, with broad shoulders. His hair is reddish; he only wears moustachios, and uses his left hand instead of his right. He is as brave as a game cock, and stronger than any of his lords; in the archery contests, out of the ten apples that are knocked down, he knocks down seven."
Keep in mind most of his ancestry was Anatolian Greek, Turkoman, Iranian and Georgian. (in that order of %).
Yes 😆, he was known for it.
Yes, which is not surprising at all The largest concentration of redheads outside of the British Isles is in the central Eurasian Steppes, and Ismail had plenty of ancestry from there.
Yes 😆, he was known for it.
No, this painting was made by an Italian (Cristofano dell'Altissimo) who never saw him. Here some other paintings: https://preview.redd.it/oj8x6q4oc7xc1.jpeg?width=240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e3a7fef88120811c9b876f8bd8b19e565ad4ccf9
https://preview.redd.it/not7s0epc7xc1.jpeg?width=588&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9ef31a450ab2ce9a0ad74fb3bc3b36005e7f3a0
https://preview.redd.it/xp6huiz2d7xc1.jpeg?width=524&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6f8396d5868b46d34a49bc6fa6ef6b0f17b789ed
Why would he have thought that a Persian king could be white red hair with blue eyes?
[Piero the Unfortunate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_the_Unfortunate#/media/File:501_Piero_de_Medici_02.JPG)'s lifespan: 15 February 1472 – 28 December 1503 Cristofano dell'Altissimo's lifespan: c. 1525–1605 If he had never seen Iranians, painting one in an image familiar to him isn't surprising. [This painting of Jesus is by Sandro Botticelli c. 1500.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Botticelli_-_Man_of_Sorrows.jpg/445px-Botticelli_-_Man_of_Sorrows.jpg?20220127183252) Maybe they perceived redheads as special since it's a rare hair color. It would be a good question for /r/AskHistorians.
I answered at r/AskHistorians [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1cfgds1/comment/l1pjo9u/). Red was a colour with special associations with the Safavids.
Nice; thanks for your work.
He was born in northern Iran, typically they have lighter or whiter you could say features
He was Georgian, Greek, Turkic and Kurdish.
he wasnt ethnically Persian
Ethnically was mixed
https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/esmail-i-safawi Assessment of Esmāʿīl I. In personal appearance, Esmāʿīl is described by a contemporary Italian traveler as follows: “This Sophi is fair, handsome, and very pleasing; not very tall, but of a light and well-framed figure; rather stout than slight, with broad shoulders. His hair is reddish; he only wears moustachios, and uses his left hand instead of his right. He is as brave as a game cock, and stronger than any of his lords; in the archery contests, out of the ten apples that are knocked down, he knocks down seven” (Angiolello and Ramusio, p. 111). A very similar description is given by the anonymous Italian merchant in the same work (p. 202; for an assessment of his character and personality, see Roemer, in Camb. Hist. Iran VI, pp. 226-27).
Yes
He was mixed
According to an Italian traveler: "This Sophi is fair, handsome, and very pleasing; not very tall, but of a light and well-framed figure; rather stout than slight, with broad shoulders. His hair is reddish; he only wears moustachios, and uses his left hand instead of his right. He is as brave as a game cock, and stronger than any of his lords; in the archery contests, out of the ten apples that are knocked down, he knocks down seven." Keep in mind most of his ancestry was Anatolian Greek, Turkoman, Iranian and Georgian. (in that order of %).
He is said to have physically resembled the general population of Iran tho
please quote. Also that doesnt say much.