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Top Posts & Pages

  • Worst Books and Movies About Iran
    Worst Books and Movies About Iran
  • Cheat Sheet on Iranian Restaurants and Street Food
    Cheat Sheet on Iranian Restaurants and Street Food
  • The Most Scenic Train Ride in Iran
    The Most Scenic Train Ride in Iran
  • About me
    About me
  • How I Learned Persian
    Learn Persian

    How I Learned Persian

    October 12, 2020 /

    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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    Katya 0 Comments
  • Worst Books and Movies about Iran
    Books and Movies about Iran

    Worst Books and Movies About Iran

    May 4, 2020 /

    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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    Katya 0 Comments
  • Redfis
    About Iran,  Culture

    Nowruz: Persian New Year Traditions

    March 17, 2020 /

    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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    Katya 0 Comments

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    The Most Scenic Train Ride in Iran

    January 15, 2020 /

    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…

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  • Yazd_Towers of Silence
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    Travelling Iran: What to See in Yazd

    August 7, 2018 /

    Yazd had been my favorite destination in Iran (until I discovered Qeshm island), and I always recommend it to everyone who travels to Iran. Located on the edge of a desert, it impresses travelers with its unique mud-brick architecture, very different from Isfahan, Shiraz or Tehran. I have been to Yazd two times and would love to visit it again because every time I discover more and more (and of course, I don`t mind adding a couple of bowls or other Yazd ceramics to my collection). However, traveling to the city of wind-catchers is not only about visiting Yazd itself – there are plenty of religious, historical and natural sights scattered all…

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    10 Instagram Accounts to Follow Before Travelling to Iran in 2020

    March 6, 2018
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    March 28, 2016
  • 10 Instagram Accounts About Iran to Follow in 2020
    Iran Travel Guide,  Like a Local

    10 Instagram Accounts to Follow Before Travelling to Iran in 2020

    March 6, 2018 /

    Nowadays the Internet is overloaded with information about different countries and travelling tips, and social networks are making planning a trip even easier. Many Iranian Instagram accounts I follow give me inspiration to continue exploring Iran, its deserts, villages and islands, as well as rediscover major cities on the tourist trail. If you are planning to visit Iran, these Instagram accounts will be a great help to you to plan your route, whether you prefer a safe plan or are looking for an adventure. And if you are just curious about Iran, they will definitely inspire you on packing your bag and travelling to Iran as soon as possible because…

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    August 7, 2018
  • Fajr Film Festival_logo
    About Iran,  Culture,  Iranian Cinema

    Iranian Cinema: An Overview of Fajr Film Festival

    January 29, 2018 /

    Fajr Film Festival may not be a well-known film festival in the world, but it is definitely a significant event inside Iran. Interestingly, not only people from cinema industry, but ordinary people as well (mostly younger generation) try to attend as many film screenings as possible. Read up to the end to find out why. As in Iranian cinemas you can see only Iranian movies (well, with rare exception), and even Iranian TV channels show a very small percent of foreign movies, Iranian cinema industry has to fulfill these needs and produce a huge number of films, animated films and documentaries. I`ve come up with interesting statistics that will help you imagine the scale of…

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    Guide to Tehran Palaces: Niavaran Palace

    November 25, 2017 /

    You can`t imagine visiting Tehran without seeing one of Tehran palaces. Tehran has been the capital of Iran for around 200 years and has seen many shahs, each of whom wanted to build a palace more beautiful than previous shahs. Golestan, Sadabad and Niavaran palaces remain the most popular and significant tourist attractions in Tehran. Each of them can offer its visitors several palaces from different historical periods as well as a range of museums. So I`ve decided to write a complete guide for each palace complex to help you decide which palaces and museums to visit. In this article I`ll tell you about Niavaran palace and its museums. Sahebgheraniyeh…

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  • Ashura in Tehran
    About Iran,  Culture,  Like a Local

    Ashura in Iran: What to Do on Ashura in Tehran

    September 29, 2017 /

    Moharram is a month during which Iranians and other Shia Muslims commemorate the death of Imam Hossein. The mourning reaches its culmination at Ashura, the tenth day of Moharram. I have already written about Ashura in Iran and mourning ceremonies organized on this occasion here and here. During several years I`ve been living in Iran, I have attended quite a number of ceremonies in different parts of Tehran (there are still areas uncovered though). Some attract hundreds of people, while others are attended only by locals. However, many foreigners hesitate to go out on the day of Ashura which is the culmination of Moharram mourning ceremonies. Maybe, they are afraid of Iranians…

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    Best Android Apps Made in Iran

    July 22, 2017 /

    Although Iran seems to be cut off from the outside world by the sanctions and political situation, it remains a dynamically developing country. A huge part of Iranian population is formed by young people who use smartphones on everyday basis. However, due to filtering restrictions and lack of English knowledge, most Iranians just can`t use some popular smartphone apps. That`s why the demand in quality, authentic apps that would satisfy Iranians` needs is rapidly rising. In this article I`m going to introduce best Android apps made in Iran and designed by Iranian developers which I believe, will help you understand Iranian culture and Iranians much better. So, let`s take a…

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 Older Posts

About Me

I`m Katya, living in Tehran with my Iranian husband for almost 10 years. I am here to share my insights on life in Iran as well as tips and tricks for travelling Iran!

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I don't know about you, but I'm already making a l I don't know about you, but I'm already making a list of places (and cafes in the first place) I want to go when the 3rd wave is over. (Does anyone know how many of them we should expect?)

So I decided to continue sharing #myfavoriteplaces_tehran and support those cafes that are still there.

I discovered @clunagroup just a couple years ago but it instanly became my first choice for a quick and healthy snack.

Quick snacks on the go in Tehran include falafel at a not-so-tidy food stall, greasy samosas or pirashki, or sandwiches with layers of kalbas. So I think Tehran really needed a healthier option.

Cluna chain cafes offer a variety of sandwiches, salads, coffee and smoothies and even some desserts, everything freshly made, warmed-up upon request and nicely packed.

Abundance of vegetarian option is another reason to love it. You can find sandwiches or rolls with hummus, kuku-sabzi, omelette, dates etc.

But what I like the most is that it's located at key places along Valiast Street - just do a quick search on maps to find the closest one to you.

I'm really happy that Iranians are moving to healthier options, and hopefully there will be more places like this.

#noad
Have you ever wondered what Heaven looks like? Ira Have you ever wondered what Heaven looks like? Iranians have the answer! Surprisingly, no houris* involved. Swipe to see the first pictures from Heaven! 

The first one depicts Ghasem Soleimani in the embrace of Imam Hossein. There is Imam Khomeini on the right and a few shahids on the background.

The second one shows famous Iranian traditional singer Mohammad-Reza Shajarian who passed away recently with poets Ferdowsi and Akhavan-Sales who come from the same area.

*Houris - beautiful women who accompany faithful Muslims in Heaven.

#heaven #islam #uncoveriran #discoveriran #everydaytehran #parksoftehran #باغ_کتاب #دریاچه_هنر
I have a confession to make. I've been thinking a I have a confession to make.

I've been thinking about how I learned Persian a lot recently (you can read about it on my blog - tap the link in bio). And I remembered a funny thing. 

When my Persian reached a point when I could read novels in Persian, I started to read them while commuting to university (we, Russians, read a lot in the metro). But to be honest, I was always uncomfortable about taking out a Persian book out of my bag. Because as soon as I did, people would start staring at me. And believe me, you wouldn't like this kind of looks!

The thing is Russia has a long history of terrorist attacks commited by Muslims, and I remember, after one of those attacks, the hatred to Muslims became so wide-spread that some people would even attack Muslims in the metro!

So when I was reading a romantic novel in Persian, I felt that people around me were thinking I was reading a tutorial on how make a bomb or something.

Later I came up with a trick - I would read only magazines with lots of pictures. It's Persian, meow 😁

Have you ever been uncomfortable about telling people that you are learning Persian or reading something in Persian in a public place?

PS This story dates back to 10-15 years ago. I hope the situation isn't that bad right now. Although I don't pay attention anymore.

#learningpersian

#persianlanguage #persian #farsi #персидский #фарси #persianlearning #persian_language #персидскийязык #learninglanguages #autumnmood #autumncolors #autumnleaves #hikeinthemountains #hikemore #hikevibes #fallseason🍁 #neverstopexploring #welivetoexplore
#exploretehran #lifeiniran #lifeintehran #everydaytehran #everydayiran #iranogram #iranogramers #letsfeeliran #seeyouiniran #middleeast #tehrangram
#myths_about_iran Before moving to Iran, the more #myths_about_iran Before moving to Iran, the more Iranians I met, the more persuaded I became that Iranian women are educated, progressive and keep up with men. Because every Iranian I met would tell me that more than a half of students in Iranian universities are women.

BUT! Don't expect to see many women at work. Because according to the statistics, only 15% of Iranian women work. Is it their own choice or is it the consequence of a patriarchal society. Let look into it together.

You might think that the reason is obvious - discrimination against women. And you are probably right. At some positions men are definitely more welcome than women, and some men prefer their wives stay at home. But that's a bit more complicated.

What I have figured out about working as a woman is that the society on the whole is overprotective towards women. They are supposed to be taken care of everywhere. Some parents don't let their grown-up unmarried daughters come home late, some need to approve of the place their daughter is going to work at. For married women, it's husband who has to protect his wife, and the easiest way to do that is to make her stay home.

At workplace, the employer is supposed to take care of female employees - they can't stay late at work, can't participate in any physical work (if it's not initially required by the job), of course under these circumstances employers prefer to hire men. 

On the other hand, many girls, following the long-established tradition, simply prefer to dedicate their life to family rather than a career which is completely understandable.

I have to admit though that while in Iran you will see not only young women who don't work but also many young man which to me is more important and alarming. But that's another story.

What do you think with all this situation? Why do you think there are so few working women?
A couple of years ago around this time we set off A couple of years ago around this time we set off on the most spontaneous trip ever! We went to the bus terminal in Tehran and bought tickets for the first bus available.

Luckily for us, it was Isfahan. We had travelled to Isfahan before but I always wanted to go back there again.

We ate a lot of food (the best part of any trip if you ask me!), walked a lot around the bazaar area and the Armenian quartier and watched the everyday life of Isfahan.

It was a totally new experience to go somewhere for the weekend without any planning at all, without booking a hotel or doing research about places to visit. 

Fortunately, you, my dear followers, shared a lot of recommendations which made this trip one of the most memorable trips we ever had!

What was your most spontaneous trip?

>>> Swipe left for the highlights of our trip to Isfahan.

#spontaneoustrips
Having reached 13,000 daily Covid-19 cases, Iran i Having reached 13,000 daily Covid-19 cases, Iran is finally applying more restrictions this Saturday (it will cover only cities with high Covid-19 rates though).

In Tehran, shops (except supermarkets), shopping malls, restaurants, all cultural & entertainment businesses and religious sites are going to be closed for 2 weeks; companies and offices can operate only with 1/3 of employees.

Using the car from 9 pm to 4 am is prohibited (unless it's a taxi). Driving between cities is also restricted (although you can hop on the bus or train).

The universities and schools have been working online for a while already. So no new restrictions here.

However, no restrictions can make people more responsible. Just a few days ago, I saw a family saying goodbye to their guests in front of their house in the street. They would take their masks off, kiss each other goodbye and put the mask back on.

Are there any restrictions in your country? Are people readily following them?

#stayhomestaysafe
#myths_about_iran You might have heard on the news #myths_about_iran You might have heard on the news about girls of 9 being married to grown-up men in Iran. And no wonder - only shocking news like that make the headlines. But is it a tendency in Iran or rather an exception?

That's true that in Iran marriage age is quite low compared to other countries - for girls it's only 13 while for boys it's 15.

However, you shouldn't think that young people get married as soon as they reach that age. The latest statistics (first 3 months of the current year) show that the average marriage age throughout the country is 22.8 for women and 27.4 for men.

What's more, the situation is the same even in more traditional provinces. For example, in South Khorasan and in Sistan & Baluchestan the average is 20.5.

What age do you consider the most appropriate? Some of you chose 21 on the quiz in Stories, and I'd love to hear out your opinion!

#marriage #marriageisforever
I decided to embrace autumn, so we went for a hike I decided to embrace autumn, so we went for a hike to the mountains in search for the #autumnvibes🍁 And here is what we found✨
Silence is what distinguishes a public holiday fro Silence is what distinguishes a public holiday from any other day in Iran. You wake up in the morning and you don't hear any cars, construction or 'kharidaram' van roaming the streets.

Normally, people wake up later and don't go out until afternoon. However, in the evening streets become busier, people heading out for dinner, a walk in a park or visiting family.

Today was a public holiday in Iran, this time a real holiday (not a death anniversary which are probably even more than half of all public holidays) - the birthday of Prophet Mohammad.

Location: Tehran Book Garden, Honar Lake. More photos & videos ---> Stories.

#iranianscelebrate
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