What is .shia?
.shia is one of the older generic TLDs: ICANN records its delegation as December 5, 2015, long before the 2012 expansion.
Emergency Back-End Registry Operator Program - ICANN also runs 6 other TLDs, including .desi, .nowruz, .pars, .tci and .wed.
On the technical side, .shia is served by 8 authoritative name servers, every one of them reachable over IPv6. It is also DNSSEC-signed: the root zone carries a DS record for .shia, which lets validating resolvers check its answers cryptographically. Registration data is published over RDAP.
Same registry, other endings
6 other TLDs share this operator.
.shia FAQ
What does .shia mean?
.shia is a generic top-level domain named for the word "shia". It doesn't belong to any country.
What country is .shia?
None. .shia is a generic top-level domain, so it isn't tied to any country.
Who owns the .shia domain extension?
Emergency Back-End Registry Operator Program - ICANN operates .shia as its registry, under a registry agreement with ICANN.
When was .shia created?
.shia was delegated to the DNS root zone on December 5, 2015.
Is .shia a valid domain?
Yes. .shia is an active top-level domain in the DNS root zone, delegated in 2015, so .shia addresses work in every browser.
Can I buy a .shia domain?
.shia names are sold through ICANN-accredited registrars. Some gTLDs restrict who can register, so read Emergency Back-End Registry Operator Program - ICANN's policy if you're unsure.
Is .shia DNSSEC-signed?
Yes, the root zone holds a DS record for .shia.
Sources
Data from IANA root zone version 2026102000. Last changed January 30, 2025. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.
