Tehran [Persian: warm hillside*] is like a huge square, two times the islands of Malta, located at the foot of the Alborz Mountains. Once you cross the mountains you'll reach the world's largest lake, the Caspean Sea (see the satellite image above). Starting to grow in the 18th century, it's a young city by Iranian standards. So there are far more exciting ancient Iranian cities, such as Isfehan, Shiraz, Täbriz, etc.
Nowdays, Iran is centralized to such extend that its capital has a day-population of 15 million (i.e. Denmark + Sweden), placing Tehran as one of world's largest cities. So picture the sight from the airplane when you're arriving at midnight. The greatness of Tehran with its city lamps was a undescrible sight for me who is used to tiny villages (such as Stockholm and Frankfurt). Out on the streets, the memory had failed me and I had little chance to find my way without a map, even in my own old neighbourhood. However, as a former Tehranian, I knew the original Tehranian transportation culture and was able to get from one place to an another without aid. It's surely not an easy task for an outsider. I would say that Tehran has become more 'world-metropolis' (with regard to the isolation of the country) than 15 years ago.
As an émigré, I've often wondered how it feels like to be a native and look like the majority of the popluation (which is for obvious reasons not the case in Northern Europe). It's not such a issue (because you stick out in some way anyway), but I indeed felt more anonimous than I use to, no least because there're more people around. But you have to decode the cultural codex and I think I coped with that petty well. |
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