Mohammad Khatami was born into a religious family in Ardakan, a historic city in central Iran. His father, Seyyed Ruhollah Khatami, was a respected Shiite cleric who founded the Ardakan Seminary and later served as the Friday Prayer Imam of Yazd following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. His mother, Sakineh Ziaei, also came from a religious background.
Growing up in an environment strongly influenced by Islamic scholarship, Khatami developed an early interest in theology, philosophy, literature, and political thought. His father’s religious activities and intellectual reputation played an important role in shaping his educational development.
Khatami belongs to a politically active family. His younger brother, Mohammad Reza Khatami, became a prominent reformist politician and a leading member of the Islamic Iran Participation Front. Another brother, Seyyed Ali Khatami, served as his chief of staff during his second presidential term. His older sister is Fatemeh Sadat Khatami.
The family’s involvement in religious and political affairs contributed to Mohammad Khatami’s understanding of the relationship between Islam, society, and government.
In 1974, Khatami married Zohreh Sadeghi. The couple has three children: two daughters, Leila and Narges, and a son, Emadoddin.
