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Iranian fans of the HBO show Game of Thrones are in a frenzy as the buildup to the July 16 premiere of the seventh and final season continues.

Persian-language social media pages adoring all of the wonders of Westeros have emerged in the Islamic Republic, some with more than 100,000 followers. Fans use the sites toshare images of the actors in the show as well as video clips of its music and trailers.

Websites such as winterfell.ir are dedicating their content to Game of Thrones for Iranian fans, where you can download Persian translations of the original Game of Thrones books. Meanwhile, the wider fantasy genre is represented by sites such as fantasy.ir and arda.ir, according to Middle Eastern news site Al-Monitor.

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The shows theme song has also become a popular ringtone in the Islamic Republic.

The theories behind the Iranian love for Games of Thrones vary: At the center of the George R. R. Martin universe is an ancient Persian God known as Azor Ahai, a warrior who overcame darkness in a battle in which he carried a weapon blessed by Rhllor, a demigod known as the Lord of Light.

"Game of Thrones" Season 7, Episode 1: "Dragonstone," airing Sunday 16 July on HBO. Helen Sloan/HBO

Fans see comparisons between such fantasy worlds and seminal Iranianworks of literature such as the Shahnameh poem by the Persian poet Ferdowsi, written between977 and 1010 CE, and pre-Islamic folklore.

But another reason for its popularity is Iranian-German dual national Ramin Djawadi, the composer behind the shows dramatic instrumentals. Last monthwhen weapons experts at an Iranian university unveiled a new assault rifle, it was presented to the theme music of Game of Thrones.

The instrumentals have proven so popular that Djawadi even took a live concert experience based on the shows music on a tour of the U.S. and Canada earlier this year.

The show has good music and is unpredictable, Iranian fan Mohammad Reza told Al-Monitor. The fact that some parts are inspired from real history makes it much more addictive.

The shows Iranian fans love it so much that they will go to greater lengths to watch the latest episodes than their American counterparts. Fans in Iran say they mostly watch the show through illegal downloading on torrent websites, or exchanging clips on USB sticks with friends.

Friends in Iran, how do you guys watch Game of Thrones?

(Satellite, USB…?)

— Holly Dagres (@hdagres) July 11, 2017

American and Western television shows are viewed as un-Islamic in the country and Game of Thrones frequent sex scenes and violent battles fall foul of censors in the country.

Game of Thrones Season 7 will premiere on HBO on July 16.

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Game of Thrones Season 7: Iran Goes Crazy For Show Ahead of Premiere - Newsweek