Iran: A Student Travels Back to her Roots

Market Chefs cook up blood-red beets in the middle of Tajrish market in Tehran, Iran.

When I think of Iran, I think of a rich culture with a unique historical background. I think of amazing Persian food, busy streets, pollution, beautiful women, dark colors, bazaars, crazy taxi drivers and stray cats. I think of fresh flowers, mountains, kebabs, Persian men and pizza with ketchup.

Most people don’t know about Iran, or only know about its government. If they knew more, they would share my ultimate thought: Iran is a beautiful country. I am glad to call myself an Iranian or rather, a Persian like the cat, meow.

This is the bedroom featured inside the White Palace. It is located in one of the Shah of Iran's many palaces in Tehran, Iran.

Although I like to call myself a Persian, I was not born there. My parents were both born in Tehran, the very populous capital of Iran. It was also the destination of my journey this past December. I flew from Washington D.C. to Frankfurt, Germany to Tehran. I was so excited to see Iran again, it had been seven years since my last visit. Then, I was only 12 years old. So this time, it was a very different experience.

My trip started on Dec. 20 and ended on Jan. 7. I had little time for family gatherings or other unnecessary things. I went to Iran for one main purpose: to strengthen my Farsi, the language spoken in Iran. I managed to go to Iran knowing a very small amount of Farsi and leave the country speaking almost fluently. The trip was definitely worth it.

This is a landscape view of the Alborz Mountains as seen from a telecabin.

I wanted to experience the real Iran, even though most people there knew I was an American-Iranian. I stood out, the people there knew that I was not one of them. I had yellow Nike Shox, which I wore most of the time, unlike what most Persian girls wear on a daily basis: elegant clothing and a whole lot of makeup. They love to dress up no matter where they are going.

I also traveled outside Tehran. I saw a dormant volcano called Mount Damavand, about an hour and a half from Tehran. It was one of the most beautiful natural landscapes I had ever seen. I was in pure awe when I saw this gigantic mountain. In addition to seeing this mountain, I was able to see the city from the top of the mountain, known as baam. It was quite difficult to see most of the city due to the horrible pollution.

Faravahar is one of the best-known symbols of Zoroastrianism, the state religion of ancient Iran. This religious-cultural symbol was adapted by the Pahlavi dynasty to represent the Iranian nation.

The pollution is even worse during the day. The city of Tehran at times is covered with what Persians call “dood,” or pollution. I cannot even count how many people I saw wearing masks on their faces.

Kerman, Iran was a bit different. First, it was clean. The crisp air, the enthusiastic attitude of the people, the pistachio spread, the mountains, the quiet streets, the museums, and the freshly baked bread were all refreshing.

I also saw a town near Kerman called Mahan. Mahan has a beautiful garden called Bagh-e-shazadeh, known as the Prince’s garden. It was constructed in the 19th century. It is 75,000 square meters. The garden, the buildings, the water and everything that was a part of it was simply beautiful.

There are definitely some things that I do not miss about Iran overall now that I am back in the states– the pollution, the crazy taxi drivers, and the public toilets. The toilets are basically a hole in the ground. In order to use it, you better have strong knees.

This is the tomb of Astan-e-Shah Nematallah-e-Vali which is located in Kerman, Iran. The body is stored under the monument and there lies a glass casing filled with offerings.

In addition to the unique toilets, Iran has some pretty crazy taxi drivers. I had quite the experience going to the airport one time with my grandfather in a taxi. We finally had made it to the national airport in Iran. I got out of the taxi to get our things out and my grandfather also got out of the car after having paid the driver. The driver then drove off with our stuff still in the vehicle. For a second or two we freaked out. I then decided to run after the car.

The food is to die for: the pomegranates, the kebabs, the chicken, the rice, the stews, the tea, the cakes, the pastries, the fresh juices, the corn, the pizza with ketchup, the fresh fruit, the pistachios, the dates, the ice-cream or “bastani,” the café gilasse (coffee with ice-cream), the burgers, the hookah, the yogurt, the cheese, fresh bread, and the olives. Eating nothing but home cooked meals and fresh foods for over two weeks was amazing.

Tehran, Iran is best known for its array of flavorful and distinct selection of olives and olive spreads.

I miss Iran, but I am glad that I had the chance to go there. It was definitely worth it. Not only did I leave knowing so much more Farsi, I left with a greater understanding of my culture and its people. I cannot wait to go back, but until then, you can find me listening to Persian music, wearing Persian jewelry, and going to the Persian restaurant on Kennedy called The Tangerine.

Yasaman Sherbaf can be reached at ysherbaf@spartans.ut.edu.

* All pictures were provided by Yasaman Sherbaf.