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Complete Travel Guide to Bushehr
As soon as travel outside Iran has become unaffordable for many Iranians in the recent years, they still continue travelling but inside Iran. And Bushehr has become one of the most popular destinations of the past few years. But I am absolutely sure that Bushehr can be a brilliant destination not only for Iranians, but also for foreign travelers who want to explore the diversity of regions and cultures of Iran. So, I have prepared the most complete guide to Bushehr, including all the practical information that you may need to plan your trip. Let`s get started! Bushehr is the central city of the Bushehr Province. It`s a port located…
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Complete Travel Guide to Arak
If you are reading this now, I`m sure you haven`t heard about Arak. Or maybe the only thing that you`ve heard about it (probably from Iranians) was that it is an industrial city infamous for its highly polluted air. Well, I am here to change this idea. Arak is a city with a good tourist potential and unfortunately, it has been overseen by most tourists. So, let`s see what it has in store for travelers! The present-day city of Arak was founded not that long ago – at the beginning of the 19th century, and was named Soltanabad. And maybe thanks to that it has preserved the historical center so…
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Learn Persian (Farsi) with YouTube
Language learners are blessed to have so many audio and video aid available online to learn Persian (Farsi). Nowadays, there is no need to travel to the country to listen to native speakers, you can just open YouTube or Instagram or any other social media and find tons of content in your target language. I have to confess, I envy you! When I was learning Persian there was just IranProud website where you could download Iranian TV series, movies, music, but without any subtitles. Now, there are websites that offer Iranian movies and TV series with subtitles, and it`s pretty easy to find translation of almost any Iranian song on…
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Learn Persian (Farsi) with Instagram
How much time do you study Persian during the week? Probably, once or twice a week? And I bet, it`s so hard to go back to studying every time, because you probably realize that after a few days you have forgotten some new words and need to study them again, and switching to Persian is harder. The golden tip professional language learners and teachers give is to surround yourself with the language, immerse yourself into the culture of the language that you are learning. Don`t wait for the class to study the language, do it while you are scrolling your social media feed, or while watching your favorite TV show,…
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Ways of Protest in Iran
The anti-governmental protests are still going on in Iran. They are being crushed harshly, especially in Kurdistan and Baluchistan. While in Tehran and major cities protesters face tear gas, and are being severely beaten by the police and are being shot pellets, in Kurdistan and Baluchistan people are being shot dead in protests. Almost every day brings new victims – from protesters who are being killed or injured by the police to artists and activists that are being detained by the police. When I say ‘a protest’, you probably think of people in the streets shouting out slogans. However, in Iran protests have gone much further from the streets into…
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Iranian Art Supporting Ongoing Protests
There is no way you haven`t heard of Mahsa Amini and the protests in Iran that her death sparkled. It has been on the news and all over social media for a month now. Let me tell you the whole story first to have a full picture of what`s going on in Iran. Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian girl, was visiting Tehran where she was detained by morality police. At the police station she passed out and went into coma, and two days later she died. The official reason for her death, a heart attack, was disputed by some independent doctors and witnesses who say that she was…
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How I Learned Persian
Learning Persian by yourself has certain difficulties. First of all, there are not many textbooks that would teach you enough vocabulary. Most English textbooks cover all Grammar and Vocabulary in just one book which is a huge volume of information that may be hard to comprehend. And most Iranian textbooks (which cover various skills and are designed for different levels) are available only in Iran. Secondly, even if you decide to take group courses, it`s pretty hard to find one in your town. So the most efficient way to learn the Persian language is to work with a tutor. Just in case you are looking for one, I`d be happy…
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Worst Books and Movies About Iran
Iranians constantly blame Western media that they are showing only the negative side of Iran creating a very dark perception of Iran in the world. However, I believe that the worst damage to the image of Iran is done by Iranians themselves. Many books and movies about Iran created in the West, are created by Iranians who fled the country due to political reasons or limitations or whatsoever. And what do they talk about? Of course, the hard times they had in Iran. I realize that these things must be said as well. But it hurts me when these films and books make a way greater impression on the audience…
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Nowruz: Persian New Year Traditions
Nowruz is the biggest and oldest holiday celebrated in Iran. It takes a month of preparations and two (!) weeks of celebrations. So it might be a good idea to celebrate with Iranians. In this post, you will find out what Nowruz is and get familiar with Persian New Year traditions. Nowruz (Norooz) is as old as Iran itself. Somehow it is a symbol of Persian culture. The tradition of celebrating Nowruz unites Iranians from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf. Nowruz means a new day. This is the day when a new year starts in Iran and corresponds with spring equinox which marks the start of spring.
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The Most Scenic Train Ride in Iran
Train has been undeservingly avoided by many tourists travelling to Iran. Most of them prefer to travel by bus which is faster and available any time of the day and sometimes even at night. But personally, I love travelling by train in Iran. And believe me, I know what I`m talking about! My husband and I traveled Iran by train a lot – from Mashhad in the east of Iran to the small city of Shoosh in the west, Sari in the north and Bandar-Abbas in the south. What I love about train trips in Iran is the comfort they offer, an opportunity to mingle with locals and finally, just…
