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The Safavid dynasty was a Persian dynasty that ruled Iran from 1501 to 1722. It was founded by Ismail I, a descendant of the Sufi saint Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili. The Safavids were Shiite Muslims, and they made Shiism the official religion of Iran. The dynasty reached its peak under Shah Abbas I, who ruled from 1588 to 1629.