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Iranian Cinema: An Overview of Fajr Film Festival
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
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 Iran: What to Do on Ashura in Tehran
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
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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Tehran Event Guide: July at a Glance
Summer is on its peak, and the best way to spend these days is to seek shelter in galleries, cinemas, cafes or somewhere in the mountains to the north from Tehran. In this post I`ll provide recommendations for cultural events and galleries in July. One of the most curious events this month is certainly Tribute to Abbas Kiarostami Event organized by Iranian Artists Forum. It includes demonstration of the most famous Kiarostami`s films as well as scenes from his last film which was never finished, 24 Frames. The entrance is free, so don`t miss a chance to watch these films in the company of Kiarostami`s fans. Of course, if you understand at least…
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Tehran Event Guide: June at a Glance
Hey there! Happy Ramadan! Hope you are doing fine with not being able to eat out these days. However, staying in Iran during Ramadan is not as difficult as it may seem. If you don`t agree, take a look at one of my posts about Ramadan and find out How Not to Starve During Ramadan. As you might have noticed, this month`s highlight is Ramadan. This month is truly special for all Iranians – not matter how religious they are. It has its own traditions, and of course, yummy treats, which all Iranians enjoy. So, let`s take a closer look at what to do during Ramadan. Although Ramadan is the month of…
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Cheat Sheet on Iranian Restaurants and Street Food
For foreign tourists who are new to Iran it might be a bit hard to choose a restaurant as they don`t know what prices, quality and cuisine to expect from them. However, the cheat sheet on Restaurants and Street Food in Iran is there to help you understand what food options you have in Iran and always feel confident while entering a restaurant that the price on the check won`t exceed your budget. Moreover, in this cheat sheet you will find various street food options that are usually available all over Iran. Some can be a life saver for vegetarians or those who are sick and tired of rice with kebabs…
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Tehran Event Guide: May at a Glance
In May Tehran, and the whole Iran, is in blossom. And it`s the right time to take a walk in Tehran`s multiple parks and gardens (like Moghaddam House which is stunning in this season) or even head outside Tehran and visit some highland villages sunk in gardens like Vardij and Varish villages and Shahrestanak village, or set off on a longer trip to the Caspian Sea, Gilan or Golestan provinces popular for their extensive forests (exactly what I am planning to do next week!). Anyway, if you decide to stay in Tehran, there are still plenty of things to do in May. And in this Tehran Event Guide you will find out more about some…
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Tehran Event Guide: March at a Glance
In March it`s all about Nowruz, the start of a new year. Nowruz is the biggest and oldest holiday celebrated in Iran. It takes a month of preparations and two (!) weeks of celebration. So it might be a good idea to celebrate with Iranians. Although most Iranians spend these long holidays travelling, there are a lot of special Nowruz events held in every city, but I would recommend to stay in Tehran as other cities become overcrowded during the holidays. This month`s Tehran Event Guide will be dedicated to Nowruz holidays and how to take the most out of them.
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Top Iranian Movies: The Salesman Film Review
Photo: imdb.com Writing a film review is completely new to me. However, my deep appreciation of Iranian cinema and its growing popularity in other countries have motivated me to give it a try. I`ve decided to start with one of the most recent top Iranian movies – The Salesman. The latest film of world-famous, award-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi called The Salesman was a sensation at Cannes Film Festival last year winning two awards (Best Screenplay and Best Actor). The Salesman managed to win several other awards and is now running for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars. It is Farhadi`s seventh feature film which tells the…
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Iranian Cinema: An Overview of Fajr Film Festival
