Stranger in Tehran

  Islamic Revolution Victory Day   When? February 10 Where? Azadi Square The major event of February in Iran is Islamic Revolution Victory Day. Each year thousands of people come to Azadi Square in Tehran to commemorate a day in 1979 when people came there to plead for the return to their own, Iranian, values which turned out to be a return to their Islamic background. Coming to Azadi Square in Tehran (or the main square in any other city) can be an interesting experience. You may even be asked by an old lady in a chador to marry her son who doesn`t even live in Iran! (that`s what happened to me…

In Tehran Events Guide I`m introducing exhibitions, movies (in English, of course), concerts, festivals and other happenings that might interest you so that you won`t have to check multiple websites to decide where to go at the weekend! Tehran doesn`t have night life, but it doesn`t mean there is nothing to do here! So get ready to go out this weekend! If you are staying in Tehran for Christmas holidays, don`t think that your holidays will be ruined. Although Iranians mostly don`t celebrate Christmas, there are still some places where you can catch Christmas spirit! Just take a look at some of my recommendations in my last year`s post. Moreover,…

Watermelon, pomegranate and nuts are traditional Yalda night treats Source: hamgardi.com   As you might know, December 21st is Winter Solstice which means it`s the longest night in the year. Not many of us would have even noticed! However, for Iranians whose calendar is deeply intertwined with the laws of nature, it`s a big holiday called Yalda Night.   Yalda Night awakes nostalgic feelings  in most Iranians who had seen a more traditional, thorough and more widely celebrated Yalda night at their grandparents` house with all relatives gathered around korsi (a traditional heating device, if I may call it so) sharing sweet memories of the past, reciting poems of Hafez…

In Tehran Events Guide I`m introducing exhibitions, movies (in English, of course), concerts, festivals and other happenings that might interest you so that you won`t have to check multiple websites to decide where to go at the weekend! Tehran doesn`t have night life, but it doesn`t mean there is nothing to do here! So get ready to go out this weekend!   Featured event On Tuesday, December 20, Iranians will spend a beautiful and pretty old tradition (oh yeah, 7000 years does sound old! ????) called Yalda Night which is closely connected to nature – it`s Winter solstice, or the longest night of the year in other words. Not being…

Maybe it will be big news for some of you, but in Iranian cinemas you can watch ONLY Iranian movies. A couple of years ago a recently built shopping center Kourosh with 14 (!) cinema halls started showing some new Hollywood movies every now and then, but, unfortunately, it didn`t last long. Now foreign movie screenings are limited to cinematheques which have, however, become quite popular in Tehran. Their number is growing and there are more and more opportunities to watch a brand-new Hollywood movie or a good old European film. While some cinematheques show the retrospective of one director (like Museum of Contemporary Art) or relate their screenings to…

In Tehran Events Guide I`m introducing exhibitions, movies (in English, of course), concerts, festivals and other happenings that might interest you so that you won`t have to check multiple websites to decide where to go at the weekend! This weekend is going to be packed with interesting events happening in Tehran!  Featured Events I almost missed Cinema Verite Festival which is another name for Iran International Documentary Film Festival. It started on December 4 and on December 11 the winners will be announced. Just like Short Film Festival, it is held in a great venue at the heart of Tehran – Charsou Cineplex with 5 cinema halls. The entrance is completely…

In Tehran Events Guide I`m introducing exhibitions, movies (in English, of course), concerts, festivals and other happenings that might interest you so that you won`t have to check multiple websites to decide where to go at the weekend! The week of mourning is finally over, and lots of new cultural events are waiting for us! Featured Event It`s less than a month left till Christmas – just the right time to start your Christmas preparations! Can`t feel Christmas spirit in the air? Maybe, Christmas Bazaar can help you! Armenian Cultural Ararat Organisation is holding its Annual Christmas Bazaar this weekend where you can purchase Christmas decorations and presents and share…

Qazvin is a city of ornaments and gorgeous tiles, “a city in the middle of a garden” (that`s how Nasreddin-Shah described it to his European counterparts in the 19th century). Finally, Qazvin is the gate to amazing Alamut valley with its impressive castle. Unfortunately, Qazvin is often missed out by tourists, while it can be an amazing stop on the route to Rasht, Zanjan or Tabriz. I have prepared a travel guide for you where I am going to write about the vibe of the city, its people, main tourist attractions, share some useful tips and my own experience of traveling to Qazvin. Hope you enjoy! I have gathered all the…

One of the problems I had during these five years living in Tehran is that it is really hard to find out about different cultural events in Tehran. The situation with event promotion and informing is just horrible here. So many times I missed great events and found out about them from a friend who took part in them. Sometimes I found out about an event a day before or even the same day! In many countries there are online or paper magazines which promote various concerts, exhibitions, movies or other cultural things. Finally, if you don`t follow them, you can check the website of specific cinema, theater of gallery.…