Seyyed Mohammed Khatami was born on September 29, 1943 in the southwestern city of Ardakan, in the Iranian province of Yazd. His father, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khatami, was a prominent cleric and the leader of Friday prayers in the city of Yazd in the early years after the Iranian Revolution.

Khatami finished the early school years in his hometown, and then attended the Qom Theology School in 1961. Later, he received his bachelor’s degree in Western philosophy from Isfahan University. While studying for a master’s degree in Educational Sciences at Tehran University, he pursued his previous theological studies to the highest level at Qom Seminary.

Before serving as president, the Iranian intellectual, philosopher and political figure held posts in many capacities. Khatami served as the head of the Hamburg Islamic Centre in Germany, representative for Ardakan and Meibod constituencies in the parliament from 1980 to 1982, supervisor of the Kayhan Newspaper Institute, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance (1982-1986, and then for a second term from 1989 to 24 May 1992 (when he resigned), deputy and head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces and chairman of the War Propaganda Headquarters (1980-1988), head of the National Library of Iran and university lecturer for political Philosophy courses (1992-1997), cultural adviser to President Rafsanjani, member of the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, and member and chairman of the Central Council of the Militant Clerics League.

Khatami was elected as the fifth president of the Islamic Republic of Iran on May 23, 1997 by gaining more than 20 million votes, almost 70 percent of the votes cast. He was re-elected on June 8, 2001, for a second term.

The focus of Khatami’s government was on the rule of law, democracy and the inclusion of all Iranians in the political decision-making process. In his "Letter for Tomorrow", he wrote: "This government is proud to announce that it heralded the era where the sanctity of power has been turned into the legitimacy of critique and criticism of that power, which is in the trust of the people who have been delegated with power to function as representatives through franchise. "

Khatami’s economic policies followed the previous government’s commitment to industrialization. During his term, Iran's foreign policy created a congenial atmosphere for expanding relations with the world. Efforts were also made to play a greater role in the Persian Gulf region and beyond.

During his presidency, Khatami met with many influential figures, including Pope John Paul II, Koichiro Matsuura, Jacques Chirac, Johannes Rau, Vladimir Putin, Abdulaziz Bouteflika and Hugo Chávez.

On September 28, 2005, Khatami retired after 29 years of service in the government. In his post presidency era, he continued his efforts for worldwide promotion the idea of cross-cultural understanding and active exchange of ideas, aspirations, and visions for the future by attending international conferences and events at many universities and religious institutions.

Khatami was appointed a member of the Alliance of Civilizations by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on September 2, 2005. On January 30, 2006, Khatami officially inaugurated the office of "International Institute for Dialogue among Cultures & Civilizations", an Iranian NGO. At a press interview in February 2006, Khatami announced the formal registration of the European office of his Institute for Dialogue among Civilizations in Geneva.

Khatami is married and has two daughters and a son. His wife, Zohreh Sadeghi, is the daughter of a famous professor of religious law, and niece of Imam Musa al-Sadr.

Khatami speaks Arabic, German, and some English. His main research field is Political philosophy. An avid reader, he has published several books and articles on subjects such as the relationship between Islam and the modern world. He has received extensive international tribute, is constantly invited to attend international events and continues to be held in great respect and admiration around the world.