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 I spent a month in Iran recently and thought I'd give my experience on this commonly misunderstood country. Ask anyone who has ever traveled to Iran and they will likely say it's one of their all-time travel highlights. After almost 30 countries, I'd say the same. Iran is a country isolated from the rest of the world do not expect people to know what the Simpsons are or what an iPod is. The majority of people know less than two words in English; broadband internet is restricted to government; many seemingly random internet websites are blocked (including Facebook, SomethingAwful, Flickr, and any blog-like domain); it's impossible to use any foreign bank or credit card in Iran except in high-end carpet and handcraft stores; foreign trade is strictly controlled; there are only 5 television channels for a country of 70 million people, and satellite is technically illegal, although since the Iranian president said it isn't illegal during an interview in New York to save face, this is no longer enforced. Given that the Iranian people can't represent themselves internationally, our image of Iran is derived mostly from political propaganda: a country of fundamentalist bearded nutjobs plotting terrorist attacks against the USA while rallying in the streets against "the Great Satan" and shouting "Death to Israel." But with almost 70% of the population under 30 years old, most Iranians are too worried about their own government the poor economy, lack of jobs, high inflation, a conflict-seeking president, its poor image abroad, and slow pace of social reforms (does any of this sound familiar?). Even more surprising given all the anti-American propaganda by their government, most will be the first to tell you that they love America they happen to hate the foreign policy of her government. It's the same with Israel, when they happen to care at all, that is. I met more people cursing organized religion in Iran than in any Islamic country I've been to. I was expecting a fundamentalist country where the women would be faceless, completely covered as seen in Arabic countries, or showing only the eyes; the men would be walking around in white robes and massive neckbeards. But during my month in Iran, I didn't see a single woman covering her face. The mandatory hejab (headscarf) is typically worn as far back as possible without falling off. Contrary to certain news reports I had read less than a year ago, men are not controlled for having "Western hairstyles" although dreadlocks still wouldn't fly for Iranians, and a thick beard is considered extremely untrendy as it implies an uncool affinity for the Islamic regime. The young men dress with bling and flashy shirts and the women heavily made up. Plastic surgery is extremely common for both sexes you'll see many people with bandages from a nose job. It costs $600 to $2000 depending on the size of the job. Even some of my taxi drivers were getting their nose done! And except for the Persian Gulf region, which is completely different from the rest of Iran, I didn't see a single person under 40 who was obese. (Again unexpected after the fatties I saw in other countries where the women cover themselves up.) In a country where it's illegal to stare at a woman, or even strike up a conversation with the opposite sex, the only way to generate attraction is superficially. Like most non-Western countries, Iran is not a real democracy. It goes without further saying that many are discontent with the title "Islamic Republic of Iran." Iranian Revolution Instead of the 2500 years since the founding of the first Persian Empire, I'll give just a brief introduction to the single event which completely altered Iran's image abroad and system within, the Iranian Revolution in 1979. After the Prime Minister of Iran was assassinated in 1951, Iranians voted in Mohammed Mossadegh on a platform of repatriating oil money that had been going to England. When England disagreed to a fairer share to Iran, Mossadegh nationalised the Anglo-Iranian oil company and expelled British diplomats whom he correctly suspected of plotting to overthrow him. This same year, Mossadegh was named Time Magazine's Man of the Year for encouraging other developing nations in shaking off the colonial yoke. (Taken from the Lonely Planet.) In 1953, England and America began organizing a coup d'ιtat to reinstate a pro-Western dictatorship. Codenamed Operation Ajax, it was based out of the now-former US Embassy in Tehran. Here are the gates of the former embassy, obviously no longer in operation. I took this from across the street; others who blatantly took photos were approached by armed guards who politely ensured they deleted the photos. This is the policy with most government buildings or those of strategic importance. (It's the same many places in the world try taking photos of a power plant in the US.)  The perimeter is covered in various anti-USA murals, including a devil's claw with USA and Israel armbands clutching the world, the Statue of Liberty rendered as a skull, the American flag with the Star of David, and various quotes from Imam Khomeini.  The coup was successful in toppling the democratically elected government. Once again, the shah (king) had full control of the country under the influence of England and the US. The oil industry was renationalized, and this time the USA had a 40% stake in the company. Details of Operation Ajax can easily be found online for the interested. Over the next quarter century, the shah implemented various reforms that failed to appease the public torn between religious conservatives and youth seeking greater freedom. Under this all were the economic problems caused by the shah's economic mismanagement of oil funds. Following the OPEC embargo as the world slipped into recession in the 70s, so did Iran. There was growing resistance to the shah from all sides, and the shah tried to stop it with all the force available to him. People were tortured, murdered, and just went missing. In 1978, martial law was invoked and hundreds of demonstrators were killed in the streets all over Iran. Failing to hold onto power any longer, the shah fled the country two months later. Ayatollah Khomeini came back from exile in Paris, and quickly proclaimed himself Supreme Leader. As the world watched, he announced the establishment of the world's first Islamic Republic. With quick and brutal efficiency, he eliminated and killed off all other opposition groups who had helped overthrow the shah. Taking advantage of the domestic turmoil, Iraq invaded Iran shortly after with the blessing and help of the US government. Khomeini used this occasion to unite the country against a common enemy, and the fate of Iran as an Islamic Republic was sealed. I highly recommend the French comic-now-movie Persepolis which paints an accurate picture of how the religious conservatives ruthlessly swept into power and how things went from bad to worse. Onto the photos Coming in from Turkey to the border at Sero, the bus passes through dramatic mountain scenery, an abandoned castle, and at points on roads with elevations reaching 2800m.  This is one of the two land borders between Iran and Turkey. Behind the Turkish "Goodbye" sign is the Iranian one which reads "Welcome to Iran." There are only two buses that go this route per day, and mine had just four other people in it. Visa on arrival at land-crossings are not available to any nationality except Turkish.  On arriving in Orumiyeh, I took the next bus to Tabriz, a city of 1.5 million people in the Azerbaijan province of Iran. In the bus, I almost immediately met someone who invited me to dinner at his place. And here's where I spent my first night in Iran.  It's important for anyone traveling to Iran to bring all the money they intend to spend before coming to Iran. You can't even buy a flight ticket with a credit card. US dollars is the preferred currency of choice, although Euros have become increasingly popular over the last couple years. The Iranian currency comes in bills ranging from the equivalent of $0.05 to $5USD-equivalent. My $200 got me a stack of these Iranian Rial notes.  I consider Farsi to be a happy language if only because of this happy face character (the 't' sound).  The bazaar in Tabriz is by far the most magnificent I have ever seen, and quite possibly in the world.  Beams of light constantly break into the dusty bazaar below. It's a photographer's dream.  Ventilation hole  Carpets are an integral part of Persian culture and they come in many varieities; these ones are obviously not intended to be walked on. Prices can range from $100 for a very simple one to over $20,000. It's around $5000 for a quality 2x3 metre carpet.  In the bazaar I met someone who offered to be my guide and asked only that I spread the word about the Azerbaijan province in Iran. Unlike the Kurds, the Azeris are very well integrated in Iranian society and speak Azeri Turkish at home. He showed me around and then drove me to a mountain overlooking Tabriz, where I walked to the top which had a restaurant and mosque. Along the last half of the trail were speakers every 50m all playing the same instrumental music. Very unexpected. http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=XcI03Tjt8h4  Dogs are unclean creatures according to the Qu'ran, and all over the Islamic world you'll see cats running around. It's rare to see dogs in the public. These ones seemed to have no owner.  Like churches in Europe, pigeons love mosques as well.  Mosque, Persian style.  Elgoli Park, once a masterpiece in the middle of this pond, but destroyed and a new building was constructed. It's still magnificent, especially at night when it's lit up.  From Tabriz, I hopped on a night bus to Tehran. Buses are very cheap in Iran at less than $1 per hour of travel. And that's because diesel costs less than $0.01/litre. You can fill up a 60 litre tank for 50 cents. However, petrol is rationed at 120 litres per car (two full tanks) and costs $0.10/litre; after 120 litres, you pay the full price at $0.40/litre. The government loses billions of dollars a year subsidizing the rationed price and is trying to move people towards CNG. Arriving in Tehran, the first thing most visitors notice is the massive Azadi monument located near the bus station and airport. Reminiscent of l'Arche de Triumphe in Paris, it sits as the centerpiece of a traffic circle. It was built in 1971 by the last shah to celebrate the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire.  Most attractions in Iran cost about 20 cents to enter. The Azadi monument is the most expensive in Iran and costs $3 to go up as part of a private tour.  Tehran is located on the southern base of Mount Damavand, the highest mountain in Iran at 5671m. This is the view on a good day. Tehran is one of the most polluted cities on the planet with its horrible traffic made worse by inefficient cars. Many days you will barely be able to make out its massive features.  Souvenirs in Iran are generally cheap but of very high quality, even the mass produced ones. This cement statue replica for sale at the National Museum costs $200. Of course, since it weighs over 100 pounds, you can forget about shipping it home.  The massive Iran-Iraq war cemetery has roughly 200,000 glass boxes from the over 500,000 dead during the war. The boxes hold memorabilia from the deceased, typically photos and watches.  The rather modest mosque located in the centre.  As you can see, the dome isn't even decorated. It's pure concrete inside out. I couldn't find the reason for this.  The government distastefully uses this place of mourning to promote its propaganda, and in the middle of this military cemetery you will find a war propaganda museum.  Some of the shop names are rather unique, like the name of this crafts store.  Iran isn't as bad as India, but you will still find some ridiculous anachronisms in Tehran.  Like most visitors to Iran, I spent as little time as possible in the hectic capital, mainly there to see the museums. This includes the National Jewellery Museum which brings a whole new meaning to extravagance. Included is a world globe made of 34kg of gold and 51,366 precious stones attached. I suggest googling for examples. Cameras weren't allowed inside. From there I continued south over the next three weeks, eventually ending up in the Persian Gulf area of Bandar Abbas and taking the short 30 minute flight to Dubai. It felt a bit weird looking out my window during this flight. Pretty much everyone knows about Pan Am Flight 103 that was hijacked and crashed over Scotland, killing 270 people. Very few know about Iran Air flight 655, the civilian flight going from Bandar Abbas to Dubai carrying 290 passengers when it was shot down by the USS Vicennes, killing everyone onboard, an action for which the USA has to date never issued an apology, and in fact gave combat medals to the commanding officers of the vessel. (A fact now removed from the current wikipedia article.)  I took many more photos, but I'll just leave this last one. (Note there are no Western food chains or stores in all of Iran.)  Update: the remaining photos from my Iran trip are posted here http://forums.somethingawful.com/sh...4#post353427337 barking frog fucked around with this message at Jan 25, 2009 around 23:52 |
| # ? Dec 09, 2008 12:50 |
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| # ? Feb 09, 2010 18:10 |
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It looks like a very beautiful country, I know plenty of Persians who are great people, it's really a shame that they are stuck with such a government... Thanks for that
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 12:56 |
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What the hell does the Z stand for?
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 12:58 |
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"ZFC"? Zionist Fried Chicken?
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 12:58 |
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edit: ^^^dammitIron Prince posted:What the hell does the Z stand for? Zionist Fried Chicken, you ignorant imperialist. Also PEPSI - Pay Each Penny Save Israel.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 12:59 |
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Some beautiful sights, going by those photos alone. I can only imagine it's something that must be seen in person to be able to grasp how magnificent it all really is. Nice writeup.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 12:59 |
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Iron Prince posted:What the hell does the Z stand for? Not Kentucky, that's for sure! OP, that you so much for this thread.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:00 |
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Some amazing photographs there, it's amazing how different Iran is to Turkey, a country which whilst retaining its Islamic heritage "embraced" Western influences thanks mainly to Ataturk. With regard to the government propaganda you spoke of, did you find it had much effect on the people you spoke to?
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:02 |
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Your pictures are awesome, you have some real talent there...I'll have to find the time to read your whole post, but looking forward to it 
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:05 |
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Wonderful photos - and some really interesting stories too, thanks for sharing. I presume you speak Farsi? Care to share any more info on your background, and how the trip came about?
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:09 |
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Great thread. The ZFC photo made my day!
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:13 |
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It's definitely a shame that the only time I'll ever be able to cross that border is in my C-17 bringing ammo to the troops when they decide to finally invade. I fly by the drat border every day, but can't cross.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:17 |
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frameset posted:Some amazing photographs there, it's amazing how different Iran is to Turkey, a country which whilst retaining its Islamic heritage "embraced" Western influences thanks mainly to Ataturk. With regard to the government propaganda you spoke of, did you find it had much effect on the people you spoke to? mrouth posted:Wonderful photos - and some really interesting stories too, thanks for sharing.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:20 |
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Great photos!
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:21 |
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I love Iran photo threads. It's definitely one of the countries everyone should visit once in their lives.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:29 |
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This is a great set of pics, I wish I could visit sometime. I shared a house with an Iranian family for over 10 years and they were the nicest, softest spoken people I'd ever met. They'd left Iran just after Khomeni became the big cheese and always seemed so sad to see what had become of their country. They said that it was more of a tide of anti-americanism than fundamentalism that caused those guys to come into power.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:35 |
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Thank you for posting this up. I read every word. Do you have higher resolution photos you'd like to share?
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:35 |
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Zionist Fried Chicken
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:37 |
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Zionist-Free Chicken  Holy poo poo, opening with that amazing picture you just have to read the rest of the thread. Thank you for this.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:41 |
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Wow, thanks so much for this thread. I am an American-born Iranian and have always wanted to visit Iran but simply can't because of all the danger. I can hardly sleep whenever my grandparents (who live here now) fly there every year. I hope Obama can calm the whole world down so I can go visit my family in Esfahan and Tehran safely. Also seconding how you found the opportunity to visit Iran! And you better not have only eaten kebab there, the stews are amazing. edit: Just saw your post!
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:46 |
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Fantastic pictures and fantastic history and explanations. This is the best photo thread I've seen in months.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:48 |
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Great thread! It's a breath of fresh air after all the "Iran is retarded" stuff going on in the media. But: barking frog posted:
You asked strangers about that? Just like: "Hey, what's your opinion on Ahmadinejad and Khamenei?" Was it hard for you to understand basic Farsi? It should be easier to follow than Arabic.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:53 |
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Excellent travel guide and pics you've posted for us. How does a Chinese-Canadian come to speak Farsi, just out of curiosity?
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:54 |
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Awesome thread. Thank you for opening my eyes a little more.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:56 |
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How long were you in Turkey beforehand? I've been thinking of spending some time in the middle east, starting with Turkey. While I hadn't been considering it, Iran certainly looks like it would be an amazing place to visit as well.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:57 |
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So, just curious - did you learn about gooz and choss?
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 13:59 |
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Linus Torvalds posted:You asked strangers about that? Just like: "Hey, what's your opinion on Ahmadinejad and Khamenei?" Before going to Iran, I used Pimsleur's Farsi on tape and the Lonely Planet Farsi handbook. I had just the very basics and a lot was lost in translation. Kalvano posted:How long were you in Turkey beforehand? I've been thinking of spending some time in the middle east, starting with Turkey. While I hadn't been considering it, Iran certainly looks like it would be an amazing place to visit as well. Thanks for all the compliments. I'll post more photos when I get the chance. barking frog fucked around with this message at Dec 09, 2008 around 14:15 |
| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:00 |
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This is a beautiful thread, I was hanging on to every word. Thanks for making my morning.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:04 |
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What about the women? Iranian women I know always but an enormous emphasis on their eyes. They shape their eyebrows and paint them charcoal black and put on these HUGE fake lashes. It's all about smoky black eyes. Is it the same there?
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:12 |
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Nthing the "Awesome Post" comments in this thread. If you've got any more pictures, you should share them for the sake of completeness.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:16 |
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Amazing photos. Thank you.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:16 |
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Yeah, nice photos OP.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:33 |
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Those pictures of the bazaar took me back my "experience" with the Istanbul bazaar. It was the most disorienting place I've ever walked through. Great thread. Orgasmo fucked around with this message at Dec 09, 2008 around 14:40 |
| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:37 |
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Beautiful pictures, I'd love to visit Iran someday. Seriously I haven't met one single jerk from that country even though I live in Sweden = A lot of Iranians.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:38 |
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I would love to visit Iran, I have some Arab friends who have visited Iran recently, and brought me back some pretty amazing herbel tea.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:43 |
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Great post, OP. I love reading about these countries which are either considered 'bad' like Iran, or are just cut off, like North Korea.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:48 |
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I had the good fortune of visiting Iran years ago my freshman year of high school. Unfortunately, I was young and stupid then so I couldn't appreciate everything  . I still had fun but when I think of how oblivious I was to such an awesome opportunity I get a little  . I didn't really like Iranian food at the time and now I can't get enough. Aaarghhh.Thanks for the beautiful pictures . I hope I can go back someday. All these recent threads about "hay guys the Middle East is beautiful and full of awesome people" are making me happy  . Iranian people are really awesome and I hope more people will come to realize this. Thanks OP!
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:53 |
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Those are some tremendously beautiful pictures, and a hell of a life experience. Congrats on living life. The rest of your photos are more than welcome.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:55 |
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Wow, great thread OP. Good to see that not everyone is ignorant. Also very nice pictures.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 14:57 |
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Great post OP! Do the people there insist you call Iran "Persia"? Everyone I know from there is like that and also feel more associated with India than with Iraq.
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| # ? Dec 09, 2008 15:00 |
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