Tehran: A visit to the Basij Iran Iraq War cemetary

A visit To the Basij War Cemetary

This is part of human understanding and a reminder of a rather sad result to a horrible and senseless war which happened between Saddam's Iraq and Ayatollah Khomeini's Iran. This grave city in South Tehran is a sober reminder that war is a terrible thing and there are no winners.

A sad part of Iran's history which happened over a decade ago but still felt deeply today as the country still hasn't recovered from the scars and the economic disaster from the war.

Wandering through this somber grave city where each family who had lost their Basiji son ( Basij means group) as he became a "shahid" martyr with other members of his group in the killing fields. Each family has a small shrine box set up by the grave. Inside the metal shrine box is usually a photo, a candle and some small possession of the shahid which helps remind them of him and his heroic death.

 Just after Ayatollah Khomeini had the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Saddam Hussein in Iraq decided to invade, thinking that Iran was disoriented at the moment, and  tried to claim the "Shatt Al- Arab," a passageway for important shipping and other transport.
Groups of young boys were sent out to fight the enemy and if they were killed during combat, would be sent directly to heaven. 
What is especially sad are the memorial grave sites which are set up for the unknown shahidi whom are unnamed. It is highly emotional to walk past and watch a lonely woman wash the memorial grave stone in hopes that she washed her martyred son's grave. To show respect and to pray for the martyr, one taps two fingers on the grave stone. People walking around would pass small sweet biscuits to us asking that we take and eat the biscuit and pray for their martyred son at his grave. It was very painful and all of our eyes were moist during the whole visit.

When walking in the grave area a recording of solemn Islamic revolutionary music which has sounds of whipping which is symbolically done to one's back when mourning for the dead, as well as haunting songs sung by a man in the traditional Persian style. Photos of Basiji in their groups during combat were prevalent throughout the memorial area.

Probably the saddest part of this story is after the long war with great losses of life, economic resources, collateral destruction as every city in Iran was bombarded, that after a peace settlement with Iraq the disputed border area was set back to it's original spot before the war began. It was especially embarrassing to realise that the USA was covertly supporting Saddam's army during this long horrible war. Our money was paying for the blood shed of some of the family members of the people we rubbed shoulders with and / or accepted prayer biscuits from in this sad place. What a horrible waste.
Although very sad, I did feel I had learned a lot more about Iran and could feel and empathise with Iranian people more after this somber insight into Iranian life.

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Tehran: Dining at famous Pardis ( Pardiso) Restaurant in Fashionable North Tehran

While visiting around the more upscale North Tehran, we went for a nice lunch in the famous "Pardis" (Pardiso) Restaurant on Vali Asr Street. This busy restaurant at first looks like a fast food place as the photos showing the different food choices reminded me of a Taco Bell shop, but when looking at the more well heeled "aunties and uncles" patrons as well as a local celebrity, whose appearance was brought to everyone's attention, we came to learn that this was not an ordinary place to go. 

photo: website

I enjoyed a local favourite which was made with fried aubergine and rice and topped with a nice crusty and crispy rice layer on top. It was very filling, and the local non alcoholic beer really hit the spot. A perfect lunch!

After lunch we drove further around North Tehran and visited the White Palace, a former palace of the Shah and Queen which was away from the busy city. The air was clean, and the temperatures were somewhat cooler.  We also went to a favourite haunt where modern young Tehranis would go to hang out, smoke hooka pipe and take a lift to the top of a mountain where one could see a bird's eye view of Tehran. It was windy and dusty, but a great view of Tehran! ( and all it's smog!)

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Riding Tehran's Metro

Riding Tehran Metro

Tehran has a modern, elaborate metro system on par with places like Berlin, Moscow, Prague or any other major city in the world.

The metro is very clean, bright and the trains look and feel new.

The fare for riding is very inexpensive. The fare is stored on metro cards which are generally straight forward, but each time I tried to put it in the slot and pass through the barrier it peeped at me and red lights went off, causing the guard to come to me each time. 

Meanwhile my friends have long gone through and were looking for me. This happened so many times that they automatically waited for me until I past the barriers successfully.

I intentionally snapped a blurred photo of the escalators as it shows so many people, I didn't want to have any problems if I were stopped by anyone. It is illegal to take photographs in the metro so I had to be quick and more clandestine in my approach. I will have to say that the blurred looks of these photos give an artsy look to them!

This long escalator reminded me of Prague or Moscow's metro.

Given the fact we didn't put much time in studying our route as to where we were going at first, we found the metro system truly more confusing than usual, albeit my poor Farsi skills, but we did manage to get around after a few tries and some assistance from the metro security who kindly took us to the right areas in the big maze and up the right escalators. I suppose they had pity for us Westerners maneuvering their system. Do you suppose the security would be so kind in Berlin, London or Moscow's metro system to lost and bewildered travellers? LOL!

On this map at least we know we were in the centre of Tehran!

When we got in the tube station there was no music, no buskers playing any instruments and also no bits of paper or cigarette butts anywhere. Once we got into the train, it felt like we were riding in a roving market. Guys were walking up and down the isles selling everything from toothpaste, toothbrushes, coin collections, hair cremes, Korans, and the interesting thing was that people were actually paying for those items and took a real interest in what they were peddling!

The mood while sitting in the male section of the train was like a real male bonding club. Guys bumping each other, I got flirty stares from a few closeted gays, smiles from hunky ones, but for the most part the fashion among the men was who could put on the most fiercest scowl on their face, folding their arms and look as if wounded. 

Another time when we had to stand, and it was crowded, we now understood why there was a separation of genders on the train system as the guards outside would push and cram people on the trains like how it is done in Tokyo. I can't count how many guy's body parts I rubbed against as arms and torsos rubbed and mingled, this was ultimate interacting with Persian guys very close up!

We had a Western female among us who was elderly (dressed in the appropriate Islamic attire) and she managed to get a seat among us in the male section, where females could also sit. She sat near  the gate separating the two genders' sections.

There was a divider which marked the spot where the female only door would line up to and where only the females could alight or enter the train. Males could enter from the remaining doors.

I believe that if I lived in Tehran I would be a frequent patron of the metro, not only because of it's modern and efficient mode of transport but also to have a better opportunity for interaction with Iranian guys!

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