Stranger in Tehran

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  • 10 Instagram Accounts to Follow Before Travelling to Iran in 2020
    10 Instagram Accounts to Follow Before Travelling to Iran in 2020
  • Qazvin Guide-1
    Iran Travel Guide

    Travel Guide to Qazvin: City of Ornaments

    November 27, 2016 /

    Qazvin is a city of ornaments and gorgeous tiles, “a city in the middle of a garden” (that`s how Nasseredin Shah depicted it to his European counterparts). Finally, Qazvin is the gate to amazing Alamut valley with its impressive castle. Although, it shouldn`t be missed by those who`re heading there.  I`ve prepared a travel guide for you where I`ll tell you about the atmosphere in the city, its people, main tourist attractions, share some useful tips and my own experience of traveling to Qazvin. Hope you enjoy! Qazvin was once a capital of Iran (only for 57 years though!) and, maybe, it owes its beauty to that time. Every sight you visit…

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    Katya 2 Comments

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  • Vardij mountains
    Explore Tehran,  Iran Travel Guide

    One Day Trip From Tehran: Vardij & Varish Villages

    March 28, 2016 /

    Seeing spring coming, it`s almost impossible to stay home. That`s why at the end of March, on the first day off, my husband and I picked up a backpack, hopped in the car and drove out of the city. This time, we were going to a place recommended to us by our friends years ago. And finally, its time came! We set off to two small villages lost in the mountains right outside Tehran: Vardij and Varish which are famous for human-shaped mountains formed by the wind and beautiful gardens (look for the map in the end of the post).

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    Katya 0 Comments

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    Ultimate Guide to Tehran Grand Bazaar. Part 2: Food

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    Moghaddam Museum of Tehran: An Oasis of Peace in the Hustle of Tehran

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  • It`s a pleasure to have a picnic by the river.
    Explore Tehran,  Iran Travel Guide

    One Day Trip From Tehran: Shahrestanak

    November 25, 2014 /

      Iranians love travelling! Every time they get a couple of days off, they head for the North of Iran to enjoy beautiful landscapes and find peace away from hectic Tehran. However, even if there are no public holidays in the sight, some grab their backpacks at the weekend, fetch their friends and get off to one of the nice spots around Tehran for a day trip. One of these places is Shahrestanak in Alborz province which can be an amazing getaway destination during spring, summer and autumn. Shahrestanak is a village with lots of fruit-tree gardens and a Qajar palace which can hardly be called a palace now – unfortunately,…

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    Katya 0 Comments

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About Me

That`s me!

I`m Katya, living in Tehran with my Iranian husband for over 5 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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Iran is on fire🔥 Part 2 . Probably the biggest Iran is on fire🔥 Part 2 . Probably the biggest fire of the recent years in Tehran was Plasco building that burnt down in January 2017. It was a 17-story shopping center downtown, in Jomhoori Street. . When it was built in 1962, it quickly became the symbol of progress and modernisation of the final decade of the last Iranian shah. At the time, it used to be the highest building in Tehran, and most Tehranis used to go shopping there and had pleasant memories connected to this place. . The fire that took place in 2017 took the lives of 20 firefighters and became one of the greatest tradegies of the past decade. . Right now there is the construction of a new shopping center going on. . Another tradegy happened in December 2012 in a small village in West Azerbaijan. The classes just started in a girls' primary school when the oil heater exploded taking the livez of two girls and leaving others with heavy burns. . Another type of places that regularly catch fire in Iran is its bazaars. In most cities, the bazaar is a part of the historical city center. Although they are considered one of the main tourist attractions, they are still in use with thousands of people going there for shopping. Unfortunately, neither shop owners, nor city municipalities take enough action to preserve the bazaars. . During the past decade, the bazaar of Tabriz caught fire several times. And the bazaar of Tabriz is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's like Notre Dame catching fire, with the only difference that nobody in the world cares about Tabriz bazaar and everyone worries about Notre Dame. . #onfire🔥 #lifeiniran #fireiniran
Iran is on fire🔥 . Several days ago, we smelled Iran is on fire🔥 . Several days ago, we smelled smoke coming from our air conditioner and rushed to the rooftop to check on it. Luckily, the smell wasn't coming from our aircon. We inspected the whole rooftop and saw smoke rising from a building several blocks away. Something was on fire. . Suddenly, I realized how often buildings in Tehran and in many other cities catch fire. And not only cities - forests in Zagros mountains are still on fire!🔥 . Years ago we used to rent an apartment in an old building which had a small window overlooking the yard of a neighboring house. One day we heard fire crackling and when we looked out that window, we saw the flames quickly reaching out to us - the neighbors' yard was on fire! . We rushed out having even forgotten to take documents and stuff, but luckily, the fire was put out very quickly and didn't touch the house we were living in. . I found some statistics online that Tehran has over 4,000 fires anually. And the main reason for all the fires is the people. They are not following safety guidelines when they build new houses and use old ones, they don't care about safety when they use certain electric appliances, they open small workshops in places which are not meant for this kind of usage. They are careless and that's the price they have to pay for that. . Next time I'm going to tell you about the biggest fires that happenned in Iran in the past few years. Stay tuned! . #onfire🔥 #lifeiniran #fireiniran
How quarantine helped me see Tehran in a different How quarantine helped me see Tehran in a different light . Having lived in Tehran for years, I've learned to avoid busy streets and rush hours, to escape from crowds and traffic jams. I've learned how to go only to those places that inspire me and bring energy instead of taking it. . A couple of days ago I went outside my neighborhood. After a month or so. I had stayed at home for such a long time that when I finally was back to the #streetsoftehran I suddenly remembered what Tehran actually is - a hot, noisy, crowded city with never-ending traffic jams and long lines of cars. . That's unbelievable how different the city looks with and without people. And that is so sad that many newcomers or just tourists fail to city the real face of the city behind its chaotic traffic and crowded squares. . #likealocaliniran
The biggest treasure of Tehran is its mountains. T The biggest treasure of Tehran is its mountains. They offer people not only ski resorts but also waterfalls, green vallies full of wild flowers, rapid mountain rivers, winding roads with amazing views and villages stuck in the middle of mountains that give coolness and a breath of fresh air to Tehranis. . There are numerous villages around Tehran that provide the city with fruits and nuts as well as a place to find peace and relax. Unfortunately, I never paid enough attention to them. Of course, when you can easily go to more remote areas, why bother going to those right near you. But all the coronavirus situation has has made us appreciate what we have a little more. . A couple of weeks ago we started to explore and rediscover those villages in Alborz mountains near Tehran. And I can't wait to share our experience with you. . We went to Varish and Vardij years ago and were hardly impressed. But last week we gave it another chance and were not disappointed at all! . Read about these two little villages in my blog post and don't miss the update in the end! Just tap the link in my bio.
Learn Persian with me! *** I learned Persian at un Learn Persian with me! *** I learned Persian at university in Moscow and started tutoring when I was still studying. . I've been teaching Persian (Farsi) more actively during the past year and now want to take up even more students. . Due to the current situation, I'm teaching via Skype. If you are interested or have any questions, send me a message! . And I'll really appreciate it if you share this post with anyone who may be interested! . #learnpersian #learnfarsi
Do you know where slow travel comes from? And I'm Do you know where slow travel comes from? And I'm not talking about travelling on the back of a camel here. . Slow travel means taking your time to get to know the place you are travelling to. Instead of rushing from one tourist attraction to another, you head to a local market, participate in local activities, mingle with locals and just try to soak up the atmosphere of the place. . Some people say that the idea of slow travel was introduced by hippies, and the Hippie Trail (also known as Overland) in particular. . From 1950s and up until 1979, hippies (and other adventure-seeking souls out there) would take a budget bus or train or their own car and head all the way from Europe to India, or even further to Thailand. They would stop wherever they think is nice to spend several days, take detours or chill out and then move on. . The reason why the Hippie Trail got my attention is that naturally it led through Iran. Tehran and Mashhad were the main stops for those travelling on this route. . What was it like to travel across Iran back then, when Iran was struggling to become the most modern country in the region? Was it modern indeed outside the capital and major cities? What was the impression Iran made to these travellers? . If you had the time and money, would you take the Hippie Trail?
To be honest, staying at home was fun for me at fi To be honest, staying at home was fun for me at first - I could finally get myself to do things I couldn't find time for before. Like daily yoga, weekly baking, more reading, and more writing. . But now, after 5 weeks of self-isolation I started craving those little things the life before coronavirus used to give us. Like meeting with friends, going to the cinema or just wandering in the streets. . The thing I crave the most, and definitely it would be the first thing I do when it's all over, is going for some Tehrangardi, an official term for wandering around and exploring Tehran (is there such a term in your city by the way?). . I would gather up with a couple of like-minded friends, we'd stroll in one of the old neighborhoods of Tehran looking for hidden gems, nice old houses with wooden doors, old shops and other traces of the past. Then we'd go for a coffee to a nice cafe somewhere downtown. . What do you dream of in self-isolation? What will be the first thing you do when it's over? . PS Although now I realize that the end of the quarantine is not the end of the coronavirus, and it will probably haunt us for a long time after we go back to work. The stats are getting more positive in Iran each day, offices have opened up already, but social distancing and use of the masks and stuff still stand. . #selfisolation #lifeafterlockup
The only place that keeps my connection with the o The only place that keeps my connection with the outside world these days is our rooftop. Luckily, the view is perfect - the whole city of Tehran spreads before your eyes. And as long as I have these sunsets over Milad Tower, I'm totally fine!) #viewfromquarantine
TAHCHIN RECIPE ***** For 4 portions you will need TAHCHIN RECIPE ***** For 4 portions you will need : 2 cups of rice (preferably Iranian or Basmati rice) 1 chicken breast (if you skip eggplant, I'd recommend to add more chicken) 2 eggplants 2 eggs 2/3 cup of yoghurt 1 teaspoon of saffron Salt & spices . There are one thing you need to do beforehand. The night before or at least 3 hours before you start cooking, wash the rice, drain, add salt & fill with water. It will help the rice cook quicker. . Step 1 Grind up the saffron, pour hot water over it and leave it covered for a while. . Step 2 Cut eggplants (in circles or lengthwise), add salt (I use salt with herbs), fry or bake. I baked at 190 C for 15 minutes. . Step 3. Cook rice Fill the pot with water for 2-3 cm and boil. Add salt. Drain the rice and add it to the pot. Cook for about 10 minutes until almost ready & drain. The cookung time depends on your rice. . Step 4. Cook chicken Usually Iranians would just boil it, but to me voiled chicken lacks flavor, so I cook it in a pan with curry spice. . Step 5 Mix eggs, yoghurt, saffron, salt, pepper and oil. . Step 6 Add rice to egg mixture spoon by spoon and mix. . Step 7 Add some oil to the pot, move everything into the pot layer by layer (see the video in carousel). . Step 8 Cook tahchin on very low for 40 minutes and add up for the last 20 minutes to make crispy bottom. 1 hour in total. Another way is to bake tahchin in the oven for 1 hour at 200 C (don't forget to cover it up with foil). . The classic tahchin recipe is slightly different. It doesn't have eggplants, instead, it has barberries and nuts in the filling or in decoration. Some even serve chicken separately, cooked in tomato sauce. But it's up to you what to add to it. Just take the basic recipe and go crazy with it! Enjoy!😉 . Save & share the recipe with your friends!❤ . #iranianfoodguide
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