Tehran, Portrait of a Changing City

The structural and functional aspects of city Austrian Major Auguste Kriziz1 and Ectezad - life interact. The nature of urban design ol Saltane, (1 854),overlaid on the map of sur- influences the activities of its inhabitants, and, roundings of Tehran by A.F. Stahl'. conversely, the engagement of the citizens in particular types of cultural activity affects a city's structural features. This interactive fra- Picnic in Bagh-e L5Iezir (Park) mework clearly illustrates how changes in the structural layout of a city can be altered over "The situation of the town, in full view of the time as the preferences of its inhabitants for snowcapped mountains of Elburz, is unque- particular cultural activities change and the stionably fine; and the air is clear and exhila- a pleasant place to stay fashion for various pastimes wax and wane. rating. In a word, it is in, rather than an interesting place to see.13 In what follows I will try to illustrate change This is how Edward G. Browne described and growth in Tehran from the mid-nineteenth Tehran in 1887. A time when walksdthrough century to the present solely by focusing on gardens and picnics were the most popular the prominent leisure activities, the typical ways people had of passing their leisure time. outings and pastimes of its inhabitants. A The eastern and western Dulab-s, the series of maps of Tehran show the limits of Mostawfi garden in Vanak village, Behjatabad the city in the different historical periods. garden, the Bagh-e Melli at Mashq square and the Lalezar garden with its small zoo were the most frequently visited.' The Zell-ol 1850 - 1885. Population: 150,000 Soltan and the Amin od-Dawle parks, the Nazem ol-Molk based on the plan compiled Tehran in this period is represented in the by the Austrian Major Auguste Kriziz and map based on the plan compiled by the Conte de Mont Frette, otherwise known as

VIEW OF TEHRAN WITH THE ALBORZ MOUNTAIN

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10 TEHRAN IN 1854, AFTER THE PLAN BY KRIZIZ OVERLAID ON THE MAP OF THE ENVIRONS OF THE CITY BY STAHL

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11 corner of the Tupkhane square, Naseri park, as well as the gardens at Ark northeastern we enter another avenue similar to square were some of the other places people " whence with Khiyaban-i Ala'ud Dawla... could go to escape the dust and heat of a and parallel on the right by a fine Tehran summer. This avenue is bounded Lalezar (Garden of the In 1810, King Fath'Ali Shah and his son garden, the Bagh-i I believe to the Mohammad Mirza frequently rode in the Lalezar Tulip-bed), which belonged, 9 known as garden, where a palace was constructed to talented Riza-Kuli Khan, generally 5 the Shah".10 house the king's guests. General Gardane, who the Lala-bashi, or chief tutor of was the Ambassador of Napoleon III and some other English and Austrian guests lived there during their stay in Tehran.' In 1880, two parallel streets, each 10 meters The Abbas -Ali Tree (Burial Place) wide were built through the Lalezar garden from Tupkhane square towards the Dawlat Inside one of the courtyards of H.H. Valizade, gate to the North of the city. The western daughter of Khosraw Khan Vali and wife of street was called Khiyaban-e Lalezar and the Naser od-Din Shah, was an old plane tree eastern one Khiyaban-e Bagh-e Vahsh. The called Abbas-Ali. It was presumed to have garden between these streets was open to derived its name from the fact that it was public. A small zoo was built there (it was later planted at the period of Shah Abbas, the moved to Dushan Tappe). This street and Ala Safavid king. Mocayer ol-Mamalek tells a od-Dawle became the place for the dish story associated with this tree." mashdi 7 and their followers to ride around on "One of the servants in the private palace their decorated donkeys and ponies.' (andaruni) had committed some wrong. Afraid Edward Granville Browne mentions the of punishment, she escaped to ShahcAbd ol- Lalezar garden as located across the cAzim shrine" the same night.

THE BAB-E HOMAYUN AVENUE LEADING TO THE ALMASIYYE GATE DEPICTED BY MAHMUD KHAN SABA, 1871

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13 The Shah, when informed of her defection, grew sad and told his wife to pardon the ser- vant. Then in order to keep the servants from escaping all the way to the holy shrine, he told one of the old ladies in the women's quarter (haram) to pass on the word that he had dreamed there was an emamzade13 buried at the foot of the old plane tree called Abbas -Ali. Everybody in the andaruni became happy. The king was asked to install railings around the tree. Then candlesticks were added and holy verses were hung on the tree, which became a holy burial place inside the palace, where servants could seek protection from the holy emamz de or pray for their wishes to come true."14 The burial grounds of the emamzade, usually on the outskirts of the city, were ideal places for a picnic or a pious visit. The Emamzade Hasan, Emamzade Abdollah and Emamzade Macsum to the west, outside the walls of Tehran, the Emamzade Saleh in Tajrish and Emamzade Qasem with the famous Zahir od- Dawle cemetery and Emamz~de cAziz in Evin EMAMZADE SHAH ABD OL AZIM to the north of the city were visited with the dual aim of combining a picnic with a visit to the shrine. There were also some shrines like EmamzAde Zeyd, Emamzade Yahya, Emamzade Esmacil and Em~mzade Nasr od- Din inside the city". But the most important of SALEH IN TAJRISH the religious sites to visit close to Tehran was THE PLANE TREE OF EMAMZADE the Shah cAbd ol-CAzim shrine. The first railway" to be built in Iran, called "smoking machine", connecting Tehran to Rayy, drasti- cally increased the number of visitors attrac- ted to this shrine.

1885 - 1900. Population: 250,000 14&-

Tehran in this period is represented in the map based on the plan compiled by CAbd ol- A Ghafffr Najm ol-Malek, the head teacher of mathematics at Dar ol-Fonun school and Mohammad Hoseyn Khan, with the help of other teachers and students of the school (1884-1889).This plan is also overlaid on the , ;4 - above mentioned map of surroundings of A, AMON- Tehran drawn by A.F. Stahl. The city walls were designed by the French Itil engineer Bohler, whose model was probably the walls of Paris.

14 TEHRAN IN 1891, AFTER THE PLAN DRAWN BY OF ABD OL-GHAFFAR NAJM OL-MALEK OVERLAID ON THE MAP OF ENVIRONS OF THE CITY BY STAHL

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15 Tekiye Dawlat (Theatre) (ark) in 1864, the same year the construction of the Shams ol- cEmare palace" was started. "Her Highness the King's mother was leading It was called Tekiye Dawlat (theatre of the procession followed by the king's wives government). It was built on a site on the and their guests, almost 2,000 strong. They southern edge of the citadel replacing an old had been invited for lunch at court and for the prison, the house of Amir Kabir and some evening tacziye at the Tekiye Dawlat. This warehouses. Therefore the architect24 was not was a great honour she had granted me"7 to obliged to follow the urban pattern and could walk into the tekiye for the religious play by choose a circular form. her side. We, the women from the andaruni of George Curzon gives a detailed description of the court and their guests, walked from this structure: "It consists of a great rotunda, Narenjestan gate to the royal gate of the in the centre of which is a circular stone tekiye, through beautifully decorated red cur- platform, mounted by steps and ramps (for tains put up for the occasion, so that nobody the animals employed in the play). This is the could see us crossing the main courtyard of stage. An open passage runs round, succee- the palace. We went directly upstairs to the ded by five tiers of stone seats, which, on the first floor of the tekiye and entered one of the occasion of the performances, are packed loggias with silk carpets on the floor and with veiled women. Between these, nume- matrasses with big cushions and pillows to rous gangways lead to arched passages, lean upon. through which the actors come in. On one The first and second floors were entirely allo- side is a lofty marble mimbar , or pulpit, i.e. a cated to women, the third" to the servants. small platform at the head of a steep flight of They were busy bringing all sorts of food, steps, whereon stands the mullah, who including smoked rice and lentils, tea and directs or interprets the ceremonies. Above fruit, since once everyone was seated, the the stone tiers rose three storeys of loggias, doors leading to the women's section would or boxes, with fanciful brickwork and light ar- be locked by Aqa Nur Mohammad Khan, the cades. Some of these which conceal the keeper of the haram's key, to keep away ladies of the Royal harem, are shielded with strangers from the royal women. green lattice screen. From the upper rim of Every body looked excited and happy, the building rise the great arched and iron- despite the fact that the event in question, bound traverses of the roof. It was originally that is the tacziye commemorated the martyr- intended to cover the whole with a dome, the dom of Emam Hoseyn. It was the grandest Shah, it is said, having been so much impres- event of the year, far more interesting than sed with the Albert Hall in London, as to long the usual picnics and the New Year acro- for a reproduction in Tehran; but the batic 9 attractions."12 sub- structure was found to be inadequate to the According to Yahya Zoka, in 1285 (1867), burden. Accordingly, these spans were Tehran had 45 tekiye-s or theatres, where thrown across and awnings are stretched these religious plays were performed. The over them, when the play is acted in the heat tekiye can be considered a theatre as well as of the day; the precise counterpart of the and urban public space, because it was velarium of the Roman amphitheatre."2 usually built at an important crossing and was Mo'ayer ol-Mamlek depicts the decoration used as an open public place except on the of the Tekiye Dawlat during the ceremony: "In special religious days. On these occasions it front of the king's loggia, the stairs were co- was decorated with tapestries, depicting sce- vered with almost 5000 /e, (tuliplike candle- nes of the battle at Karbala, where Emam sticks) chehel cheragh, (chandeliers) Hoseyn and his family were slain. , great mirrors and paintings of religious events. A In a corner of the tekiye usually stands a chandelier hang from the center of the nakhl, a huge wooden structure in the dome. form of At the four corners of the a palmette, covered with pictures central stage and sym- (takht), there were four bols. It was carried around stone bases; on top of through the streets each was a of the quarter during the mourning period.2 2 wooden base with a gas light. The male audience stood between the stairs Ndser od-Din Shah ordered a tekiye to be and the round passage. Each loggia or box constructed within the walls of the citadel was rented to a courtier or to an amir or 16 TEKIYE DAWLAT IN TEHRAN, DEPICTED BY KAMAL OL-MOLK

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17 governor of a region. They competed with recited some verses · of the religious poet each other to see who could decorate his box Mohtasham, after which the procession of the most elaborately with candles, carpets tacziye began. and tapestries, depicting pictures of their A group of actors walked in the passage family or their coat of arms. The biggest log around the stage, demonstrating their mour gia was decorated by the Shah."26 ning by beating their breasts in a rythmic way The different phases of the ceremony are and bowing when they passed in front of the also related by Mocayer ol-Mamalek: " Three shah. Then, they walked onto the stage, hundred pupils from the religious schools where the director Mocin ol-Boka stood. Fifty gathered around the menbar 27 to sing and servants in red outfits brought in golden recite the events of Karbala to entertain the chairs to put around the stage for the actors audience while people were getting seated. to sit on. They were followed by eight hundred With the audience in place, the shah arrived more servants chanting and wailing while and sat in the big balcony above the ground Seyyed Gharab recited some verses from floor. The neighbouring loggias were occu Mohtasham. They then walked out of the pied by his personal servants, who put out the theatre singing ya Hoseyn elegy. Then it was candles in the shah's loggia and lowered a time for the zanburakchi (soldiers) to enter black curtain in front of his balcony. the theatre following a beautifully adorned silk Underneath the shah's balcony was the prin flag. Colonel Nasrollah Khan, · otherwise ce's box , both in an iwan, as high as the known as zanburak bashi, accompanied by three orders of loggias. some of his sons was behind the flag bearer. Aqa Seyyed Abu Taleb, otherwise known as The zanburakchi had a hat of green terme Khatam usually recited the final event of (handmade cloth) and a striped qaba (long Karbala and then finished with a prayer for overcoat). Each carried two round pieces of the shah. Then a young boy, Bacha Khan, wood that they would strike together while

THE TEKIYE-S OF TEHRAN INDICATED IN THE PLAN BY KRIZIZ

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19 2 jumping in the air and singing the elegy of attended by courtiers, generals and the rich. 1 Emam Hoseyn. They walked around the takht Sometimes a poet would read one of his once and then went out. The foot soldiers poems and, if it was appreciated, he would be were followed by others on horseback invited to recite it in front of the king. carrying spears, with their horses adorned The other famous coffee house was Qahve with decorative yar q (golden material). Then Khane Qanbar in Naseriyye street, where came a group of Arabs dressed in white Darvish Morheb used to read poetry and kafiye (long Arab dress) and an eghaIlhat and perform the naqq li. Luti Azim and Luti trousers, singing in Arabic. They were fol- Gholam Hoseyn used to perform the play lowed by several groups of musicians playing pahlevan kachal (the bald heroe) and gol a funeral march. Mirza Ali Akbar Khan badan khanum, (flower-bodied lady) outside Naqqash Bashi, who also bore the title of this coffee house. Mozayyen od-Dawle and had studied in Paris The Qahve Khane Tanbal was at Suski during the reign of Napoleon Ill, directed the square, where all the lutiwould gather. There first group. Some of their silver musical instru- were also coffee houses where people would ments were gifts from the Queen of England drink vodka and smoke opium. to the Shah. The second group of musicians, The Naseriyye street with its cooffee houses mounted on horseback, was directed by and the beautiful square in front of the Shams Gholam Reza Minbashian, known as Salar ol-cEmare palace had become the most Mocazez. Then it was the turn of the naqare- attractive place in town, and the favored place khane group mounted on camels and playing for official feasts, fireworks and luminaries. the sorna (oboe). Ectemad ol-Saltane describes this street At long last came the main actors.The story in his newspaper in 1873 as follows: " Then line was always the same: the martyrdom of there are Shams ol-Emare avenue and Emam Hoseyn and his followers. " square that are among the best in Tehran, with attractive buildings as well. This avenue has an archway opening into Shams ol- The qahve khine (Coffee House) cEmare palace. The king often rides through the gates into these streets. The avenue is The coffee houses played an important role in 1,500 feet long and 20 to 30 feet wide. It is the social life of Tehran. Although popular lined with poplar and fruit trees on both sides, since the Safavid times, they reached the hei- the central part is for the use of carriages and ght of their popularity in the Qajar period. horses, while the sides are for pedestrians. People used to gather in coffee houses to There are also cast-iron lamps on both sides pass their leisure time drinking tea, smoking and people of every class come to stroll the qalyan (water-pipe), and talking about the and see eachother until three hours after events of the day or listening to a recitation of sunset." 29 the poems from the shah nime and eskandar name. These recitations, often combined with a bit of acting were performed against a back- 1920 - 1940. Population: 500,000 ground of paintings, depicting some of the famous scenes, by a story-teller (naqqal) or Tehran during the reign of Reza Shah (1920- preacher (morshed) and his assistant, called 1941) is represented in the map based on bache morshed. Each coffee house had a Hoseyn KarimAn's description of the boun- famous morshed and the best known of dary of the city.30 whom was Morshed Borzu. Coffee houses usually consisted of a large square room with arches on four sides and a L5IezAr Street brick stage. People sat on four-poster wooden divans, covered with rugs and cushions. "In the summer, the garden of Cafe Naderi Each coffee house was frequented by a spe- was busy by sunset. In front was a coffee cial group of people. The most beautiful one shop and on the eastern side a restaurant. in the capital was the Yuz Bashi coffee shop, The white tablecloths, the unpaved garden behind the Shams ol-cEmare palace. It was floor, the plane trees and the staircase made

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THE HALL OF THE GRAND HOTEL WAS ALSO USED FOR PLAYS

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21 of brickwork gave to it a cosy feeling. Every used for some plays. GEshqi and cAref, two night a small orchestra would play western prominent poets of the time used to hold dance music of the period. Some couples, poetry evenings in the hall at the Grand Hotel. usually European, Armenian or Assyrian Classical music concerts were also perfor- would dance.The musicians in the orchestra med in these theatres and halls. were Czechs, Poles, Germans and Iranians In the evening people would start drifting who had studied classical music and played towards Lalezar street, not only to go to the light music in the caf6 to ends meet . many restaurants, hotels, cinemas or thea- It was seven o'clock but there was still no sign tres, but also for window shopping, to meet of Sadeq.31 He was supposed to meet us friends, have a chat, show off the latest sty- there at half past six. I had gone all the way les. Some would have a snack, a sandwich up to Bagh-e Saba in the hot afternoon to and a Coca Cola, both newly imported con- bring Fery Malek" along with me. She had cepts from farang (abroad). The better-off put on a white pleated organdie dress and her would arrive in newly imported black taxis and face looked like one in a Persian miniature. sit in a coffee shop or go to the Ambassador She was so attractive that everybody stared Hotel or Grand Hotel for a proper meal. The at us curiously. We had sat at a table under rich and the intellectuals would mingle while the shade of a poplar tree. I had ordered an strolling along the street or meeting in the ice cream for her and a coffee for myself. We cafes. This was the centre of cultural life in had finished them while waiting. We were Tehran and it was here that political affairs busy talking, although carefully watching the were discussed. door. She might have thought that the mee- Intellectuals such as Sadeq Hedayat, Bozorg ting with Sadeq Hedayat was just an excuse cAlavi, Mojtaba Minovi and Mascud Farzad to take her out with me. What had happened met almost daily at the Cafe Rose Noir, later to the punctual Sadeq Hedayat?"133 known as the Jhale, in the Lalezar-Naw street. The Cafe Naderi, with live music, was situa- "There they spent hours talking about Persian ted in Naderi street near Lalezar street. It was and European literature, both classical and the haunt of intellectuals of the day such as modern, as well as current intellectual deve- the famous novelist Sadeq Hedayat. By this lopments in Europe, ranging from expressio- time, the Bagh-e Lalezar had ceased to be a nist films to psychoanalysis. There was also park and most of the area was now occupied some collaboration among them in writing by newly built hotels, restaurants, cinemas and publication- one of the co-authors inva- and theatres. In the midst of these new buil- riably being Hedayat- although to use these dings the Lalezar street , which still bore the joint efforts as a measure inevitably underva- name of the park, became an oriental replica lues the real fruits of association. Hedayat of Champs-Elysbes, the place to go for a pro- and Farzad collaborated in the writing of menade, or just to be seen. It was also called those satirical 'cases', which they subsequen- "the Lovers' street".3 4 tly published as Vagh- vagh Sahab. Hedayat The first public cinema in Iran was located in and Minovi published the historical play the lower part of the Lalezar street and was Maziyar, Minovi being mainly responsible for called Cinema Khorshid. The next were its lengthy historical introduction. Hedayat Cinema Iran and Cinema Mayak, off the and cAlavi (together with Sheen Partow) join- same street. The show would start at 4 in the tly published the three short stories in Aniran afternoon and continue untillO at night, and which they had deliberately written on the one could enter or leave at any time. Some theme of the great historical conquests of Iran consider the Sepah Cinema3 6 in Bagh-e Shah by outside forces."3 8 street to have been the first one in Tehran. It The contrast of this street with the rest of was also used as a concert hall. Qamar ol- Tehran was remarkable, not only for the type Moluk Vaziri, the well known female singer of of shops and services found there, but also traditional Iranian music, gave a concert in for the relation of the buildings to the street. this hall. It was scheduled for six days, but The old narrow residential streets of Tehran was extended to six weeks.3 7 had walls interrupted only by the portals of The most famous theatres were Nasr and houses. The commercial areas, bazaar, were Dehqan. The hall at the Grand Hotel was also basically streets with vaulted roofs and

22 TEHRAN DURING THE REIGN OF REZA SHAH

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23 domes. On Lalezar street, houses and shops his back, making him lean forward. As soon had large window displays which fronted onto as we took off, the smell of garlic filled the the street. The street was not isolated from taxi. We desperately pulled down the side the customary enclosed life of the buildings windows; unfortunately mine could be lowe- and acted as an open bazaar. red only a few centimeters. The driver com- The area between Ferdawsi street to the plained that with both rear windows open he west, Lalezar street to the east, Tupkhane would catch cold. Of course neither of us square to the south, and Shah Reza street to dared declare the reason for our sudden the north, eventually became the diplomatic attraction to fresh air. district of old Tehran. The taxi driver without taking any notice of us, turned into Pahlavi street to drop off his unin- vited fares at their destination, and thus we 1940 - 1952. Population: 900,000 ended up in Darake square. Hedayat swiftly got out, paid the taxi driver and ignoring his The Taxi to Tajrish invitations to take us to Tehran, marched on as if he had come there on purpose.... I had "Outside, the weather was mild and sunny. not been to Darake - where our family used We walked to Darvaze Dawlat. Out of the to go for a picnics - for a long time. We, the blue, Hedayat suggested to go to Sar Band. I children, used to swim in the river in the spot agreed to go. There and then we took a taxi called Haft Hawz, where seven natural pools to Sacd Abad via the old Shemiran Road. As had formed. It was a calm and peaceful it was Friday, the taxi was not allowed to go place with willow trees, casting a pleasant all the way up from Tajrish to Sar Band. So we shadow and slippery stones in the middle of got out in front of the police station and the river.39 walked up the rest of the way... The air was clear and fine. The rocks bordering the river on the side of the road were covered with 1952 - 1968. Population: 3,000,000 algae and looked violet. In those days there was no signs of the parking places, villas and Tehran in the period from the coup d'etat restaurants that would mushroom there in against Mosadeq (1952) to the beginning of years to come. In Sar Band, at the bottom of the prosperous oil revenue years (1972) is the mountain, there was a newly opened cof- represented in the map based on Hoseyn fee house with a few tables laid out in the Kariman's description of the boundary of the open air. Hedayat went towards one of the city.40 wooden tables along the river, where one could clearly hear the rush of the water ... A waiter wearing a poorly-tailored white jacket Pahlavi Street and Vanak approached, wiped the dusty table, and, without waiting for our order, placed a plate of My father41 had decided to splunge out that cheese and herbs, together with a pitcher of evening. He took us all - that is my mother, dugh, in front of us... It was still early in the my youngest aunt, my two brothers and two afternoon and Hedayat looked tired. A taxi sisters, and me - in his Volkswagen for a awaited for passengers. With the aim of retur- kabab in Vanak and afterwards to the drive-in ning to Tehran, we got in. Suddenly three cinema. dish mashdi-s appeared and without taking Vanak was a green village north of Tehran. any notice of us, suggested to the driver that The only way to get there by car was down he should take them to Darake. As a sign of Pahlavi Street, which extended from south courtesy, the driver turned to us and asked Tehran, that is, from the railway station, all the our permission, but before we could utter a way to Tajrish to the north. So from our home word, two of them sat at the right and the in Amir Abad we had to drive south towards other at the left side of the driver. This rende- the center of the city, then east along red driving awkward for him, particularly since Boulevard Elisabeth, and then head north on the two men on the right of the driver, to keep Pahlavi street, a wide tree-lined avenue their balance, had placed their arms behind flanked by streams (jub). The plane trees,

24 TEHRAN AFTER THE COUP D'ETAT AGAINST MOSAIDEQ

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25 in the city; by 1978, one planted during the reign of Reza Shah, had motorized vehicles were taxis,170,000 grown high and spread their branches to form million. Of these,16,000 18,000 lorries and a beautiful green vault over our heads. motorcycles, 3,000 vans, a major effect Behind the trees were some villas. As we left 2,800 buses. Air pollution had their open the city towards Vanak, the villas were repla- on people's choice of venues for of ced by gardens with walnut and plane trees air activities, which still mainly consisted and a few restaurants, some luxurious, others picnics en famille. Because the air in Vanak small take away kabab stands. By the time village, Tajrish and Farahzdd, was fresher, we got to Vanak parked cars lined the street people headed towards the northern heights on both sides. There were boys selling fresh of the city, as pollution was threatening to walnuts. The air was heavy with the smoke of reach these heights too.The new highways kabab. We entered a kabab stand and went made it easier to reach the north of Tehran, to sit on the open terrace. It was sunset, and with its open air spaces and multitude of from there Tehran could be seen buried under restaurants.The chic restaurants on Pahlavi a layer of red smog. Further north we could street, close to the Shahanshahi Park, see a building with a tall antenna, the televi- became the new haunts of the middle clas- sion station, which was privately owned in ses. Couples would drive up in the latest those days. We had a hurried meal and retur- model BMW or Mercedes Benz. Women in ned to the car to reach the drive-in cinema on mini skirts, wearing layers of make up would time. get out and walk into the restaurants on the arms of their boyfriend or husband. Ice skating at the Ice Palace rink, roller skating, 1968 - 1978. Population: 4,500,000 trying their hand at bowling, or merely han- at the Abdaw Bowlig alleys, or The parkway ging around playing a round of mini-golf, or dancing the discos, became Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the night away at the fashionable trendy and world. As a result, parks have become vital to the new pastime of the young, the life of its inhabitants. Until recently, Park- rich. Those who could not afford those things e Shahr4 2 and Boulevard Elisabeth, with trees continued to picnic along the parkway. flanking its central canal, the Ab-e Karaj, were the two major parks and promenades of the few in central Tehran. Since then the parks 1978 - 1994. Population: 10,000,000 called Farah, S5ci, Yusef-Abad, Shahanshahi and Niyavaran, among others, have been Tehran in the period from the Islamic built. The old slaughterhouse in the south of Revolution until today is represented in the the city has also been converted into a cultu- map compiled by the Iran Geographic & ral centre surrounded by a large park, and a Cartographic Co. Ltd.(1980) delightful modern cinema, called Charlie Chaplin, and the Besmellah Khan concert hall have been added. The Shahr theatre and a The mountain new complex containing a theatre and concert hall, the Talar-e Rudaki, were also built "Each weekend, several thousand young on Hafez and Shah Reza streets. Iranian men and women take off for the small In spite of these newly added parks, however, village of Darakeh, at the north west corner of people use the planted areas along the new Tehran, to climb the sharp, rocky peaks that parkways for picnicking despite the exhaust surround the city and to escape the rigorous fumes and traffic noise. restrictions imposed by Islamic state. And Car usage and consequent pollution increa- each weekend members of the government- sed greatly in a relatively short period of time. backed Islamic popular militias send their The first car was imported for Mozaffar ed-Din best followers to make sure that Iranian Shah and later, during the reign of Ahmad youths enjoy the fresh air and the hike, but Shah, the treasurer (Amin ol-Zarb) bought a not each other. car. At that time only ten people in Tehran Girls in baseball caps, covered with makeup, owned a car. By 1965, there were 118,347 come up here without proper headscarves.

26 TEHRAN AFTER THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION

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27 Boys strip off their shirts. the names of the major streets and places of 'This is the only fun left to us. This is the last interest have changed and with them the place boys and girls can go out and be common historical memory of the city has together. These are the only moments we feel been lost. The collective memory of a place is free and freedom is all more delicious what keeps it alive even though its original because they try to take it away from us.' functions might have long since disappeared. The winding trail leads past nine open-air This collective memory is synonymous to the restaurants. Water cascades through con- social function of an urban space. In a dyna- crete channels, sometimes in small, man- mic society like the ever expanding popula- made waterfalls, and then flows back into the tion of Tehran, the result of emigration from streams. The restaurants are mobbed by sco- the countryside or war striken areas to the res of young men and women, many of whom capital, the sense of belonging and thus of huddle and flirt in open defiance of the official the memory of place is absent." This is why rules"." the social functions of places collapse imme- diately after the original functions fade away. Therefore the resulting rapid decline of entire Satellite Television quarters of the city betrays this inability to put down roots. The history of Lalezar is a case in "Satellite television is proving more powerful point. A royal garden in the mid nineteenth than any opposition group in gnawing at the century, it was converted into a street and a bones of political Islam in Iran, where the park for the lower and middle classes. It then government appears to be uncertain what to becomes a cultural centre of modern Tehran do about this foreign challenge to the funda- in 1920s, attended mostly by upper class and mental values it represents. The elite of well-off intellectuals. But by the end of the affluent north Tehran are needed and courted Second World War it had already lost its tone by pragmatic mainstream government letting and after 1953 it became a third rate leisure them to use satellite dishes. But alarming to area with hotels turning into workshops, cine- the regime's conservatives, the popularity of mas showing commercial films and cabarets satellite television is also spreading through transformed into warehouses. By 1960 it was the poor southern suburbs. A Wall Street a commercial zone for wholesale electrical Journal reporter found women in full-length goods. By now, most of its buildings have chadors saving money to club together for been replaced by new ones including a multi- communal dishes to relieve the joyless storey car park. tedium of official programming."44 It was probably between 1920 and 1940 that Tehran achieved a balance between urban structure and social participation. The intro- The above series of vignettes portrays the duction of new entertainments like theatres inhabitants of Tehran at their leisure and high- and cinemas and new methods of transport lights the close relationship between such helped people gather together more easily. activities and the structure of the city, a struc- During this period, the northern villages like ture that changed over time as the population Tajrish and Vanak became social meeting grew, the political situation evolved, and the places, while maintaining their original struc- prosperity generated by oil resulted in an ture of a village. It was easy to reach these accelerated modernisation. This meant newly places by car and taxi, without however gene- imported fashions and ways of life. The loss rating air pollution or traffic jam, which would of the old habits and activities resulted in the be the dire conquences of overreliance on the abandonment of certain urban areas and buil- car in years to come. dings, bringing neglect and ultimately Urban space is essentially a place to meet or destruction. The continuous changes in the according to Christian Norberg Schulz "an urban scene, in turn, have had a negative environment for possibilities". The introduc- impact on the inhabitants, who have lost all tion of new spaces for leisure creates more sense of identification and continuity with occasions for meeting. People meet in diffe- their cultural heritage, thus accelerating envi- rent venues to share particular interests, be it ronmental and urban decline. In Tehran, even walking in the fresh air, watching a film in the

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30 cinema, playing golf, having a picnic, or going This is one of the main reasons of collective to the opera. The nature of the meeting place unrest that led to the 1978 Revolution. Islamic largely determines the confines of the activi- icons were introduced then to fill the cultural ties and the particular interests of the partici- void, but it is impossible to introduce a sense pants. Where leisure activities take place of history and national identity within a short defines the extent to which these activities period, as revolutions pretend to do. And as are collective or private. There is a different far as leisure is concerned certainly there is potential for meeting others and feeling part no sign in the city after the revolution of new of a group when the leisure activity is wat- spaces reflecting the new collective values. ching a film on the television or at the cinema. The only place that remains in the collective There was a stronger sense of sharing com- memory is still the "snowcapped mountains of mon cultural values in a qahve kh~ne during Elburz" that continue to be the most fascina- a naqq li or in the tekiye attending to a tac- ting feature in its landscape. ziye than when a small group of friends go to a restaurant or to the cinema. A picnic at the Homayoun Alemi ememz de, was definitely a richer collective experience than a picnic along the parkway. A stroll in Lalezar street or shopping in the bazaar, had a different social significance than driving in a car to a shopping centre or to the more specialized leisure places, such as the golf course or bowling alley. These changes made the participants homogeneous and reduced the social mix. Furthermore, the introduction of modern imports, such as cars, fast food and television did not create more ' Auguste Kriziz, Karte von Tehran, in Mitteilungen possibilities to meet, but instead isolated peo- der geographischen gesellschaft (Wien :1877). ple still further, just at the time when wider 2 F. Stahl, Karte der Umgegend von Tehran, public access to the mass media created a Masstab, 1:210,000 in Petermann's Geographi- sense of globalization rather than of sharing sche Mitteilungen Band 46 Tafel 6 (Gotha:1900). the same cultural traditions. 3 Edward Granville Browne, A Year Amongst the Thus after the Second World War Tehran lost Persians (1887-1888) (1893; rpt. Cambridge: the balance between its growing population 1926), p. 100. and the availability of public spaces, between 4 Naser Najmi, irin-e qadim va tehrin-e qadim, social participation and private life, between (Tehran: Entesharat -e Janzade, 1360/1981). transport and traffic, between the function of a 5 General Alfred Gardane was head of the French building and its appearance. In a word what Mission in the years 1807-1809. His portrait, drawn was lost was the balance between moderni- in 1812-13, is among the 118 pictures in the palace zation and history. Open spaces were built called Negarestan (the Picture Gallery). See Browne, A Year Amongst the Persians (1887- up. 46 The villages around the city were buried inside the expanding metropolis, thus losing 1888), p. 105. 6 Hoseyn Kariman, tehran dar gozashte va hal, their original character and social cohesive- (Tehran: Entesharat-e Daneshgah -e Melli -ye Iran, ness. The drastic loss of traditional culture 1345/1966) , p. 205. and customs is reflected in the neglect of the 7 dish mashdi also luti refers to young strong men existing urban structure, which looks dated who would use force to help the poor. They strictly and old- fashioned. The collective memory followed the moral rules of their group. Luti Saleh and the buildings that symbolized it were and Luti Akbar Khan were the most famous in demolished 47 to be replaced by new ones, Tehran during the Qajar reign. which were probably more functional but 8 See Naser Najmi, iran-e qadim, p. 497. lacked historical and cultural roots. This loss 9 Reza Qoli Khan Hedayat, a grand parent of of historical references in the city reduced the Sadeq Hedayat, was also the writer of a history of sense of national identity. The lack of a col- poetry called Majmac- ol Fosaha (1800). lective sense of identity or belonging is what 10 E.G. Browne, A Year Amongst the Persians , p. the Persian society is suffering from today. 104.

31 1 Dust cAli Khyan Nezam od-Dawle Mocayer -ol 26 See note 11. Mamalek, ruler of Yazd and a minister of Naser od- 2 The menbar in the Tekiye Dawlat had 20 steps Din Shah, had a grandson named after him and and was made from a single piece of marble, or- who wrote a detailed book on the life and costumes dered by Dust cAli Khan Mocayer ol-Mamalek, of the Qajar dynasty entitled zendegi-ye khosusi - when he ruled in Yazd. ye Naser od-Din Shah; See Yahya Zoka, tarikhche- 28 Najmi, irin -e qadim, p. 493-96. ye sakhtemanha-ye saltanati-ye ark-e tehrin, 29 Ectemad ol-Saltane, ruzn~me-ye irin, 88 Anjuman-l Athar-I Melli, n. 78 (Tehran,1967), pp. (Tehran,1873), quoted in Zoka, tirikhche, p. 351. 257, 270, 410, translated freely by Homayoun 30 H. Kariman, tehran , p. 300-302. Alemi. 31 Sadeq Hedayat (1903-51), the most famous 12 The Shah CAbd ol-cAzim shrine , at about 10 km Iranian writer of the twentieth century, was the south of Tehran, was considered a sacred place; grandson of Nayyer ol-Molk, one of the sons of out-laws took refuge there. Reza Qoli Khan. 13 emamzide refers both to a person related to one 32 Fery Malek was daughter of Haji Hoseyn Malek, of the 12 em m-s and to his burial place. the founder of the Malek Library in Tehran. 14 Zoka, t~rikhche, p. 257. 33 M.F. Farzane, dusti b& Sjdeq Hedayat, (Tehran: 15 For a description of these shrines, see Hoseyn Nasher-e Markaz,1371 /1992), p. 52-53, translated Kariman, tehrin dar guzashta va h&I. freely by Homayoun Alemi. 16 This railway was constructed in 1886-88, during 34 Jacfar Shahri, t~rikh-e ejtemici - ye tehrin-e the reign of Naser od-Din Shah qadim, vol. I (Tehran: Entesharat-e Amir 17 A fictional western character; it could be Madame Kabir,1357/1978) , p. 145. Jeanne Dieulafoy, who visited Iran between 1881- 3 Ibid. , p. 149. 1884 together with her husband Marcel. 36 Najmi, irin -e qadim, p. 502. 18 This floor was demolished during the reign of 3 Shahri, tirikh-e ejtemici, p. 157-61. Mozaffar ed-Din Shah, because the eight semicir- 38 Homa Katouzian, The Life and Legend of an cular timber beams were overloaded; M. Beton Iranian Writer (London: replaced them with 12 steel trusses that were con- l.B. Tauris, 1991), p. 53. 31 M. Farzane, dusti b& s~deq hedjyat, nected to the newly installed steel columns; see p.107-110 , Zoka, t~rikhche, p. 294. freely translated by Homayoun Alemi. 40 Kariman, tehran darguzashta va h i, p. 373-378. 19 The New Year acrobatics were a mixture of cir- 41 Personal memories of cus and wrestling to choose the strongest luti of the the author. 42 Park-e Shahr was laid out year. These were performed in the Ark square. during the reign of 20 Zoka, tirikhche, pp..297-98. The event is descri- Reza Shah Pahlavi (1920-1941), replacing the old bed by Mocayer ol-Mamalek ( see note 11). quarter of Sang-e Laj. 43 Chris 2 Zoka, tarikhche, p.284. Hedges in: "Darakeh", The Guardian, 5 2 Processions during the mourning month of August 1994. moharram occur everday. 11 Leslie Plommer and Cherry Mosteshar, The 23 Shams ol-cEmare, a palace constructed by order Guardian, 5 August 1994. of Naser od-Din Shah in 1864-66, was to be a 11 Migration within the city from one quarter to replica of a Western building with a clock tower another is a further symptom of the absense of from which to view the city. local identification. 24 According to Yahya Zoka the architect was Dust 46 An example is Bagh-e Melli at Mashq square, the Ali Khan Nezam od-Dawle Mocayer -ol Mamalek, first central park, that was completely built up from and the mecmir or builder was Ustad cAli 1940-50. Mohammad Kashi. 41 The demolition of the twelve gates of Tehran, in 25 George N. Curzon, Persia and the Persian 1930, to make room for thoroughfares, was proba- Question, Vol. 1 (1892; rpt. London: Frank Cass & bly the beginning of the process of wiping out the Co. Ltd., 1966 ), p.327-28. remains of history for the sake of modernity.