Iran - Andrew Burke [92]
Cinema
For cinema Iranian-style, head for one of the old movie halls along southern Lalehzar St or eastern Jomhuri-ye Eslami Ave, in southern Tehran, or around Valiasr Sq, where films are shown about every two hours between 10am and 8.30pm for about IR5000 a show. All films will be in Farsi or dubbed into Farsi, and forget about seeing anything Kiarostami, Makhmalbaf or anything else remotely controversial.
You can see Iranian classics (with subtitles) at the Film Museum of Iran. see www.tehranavenue.com for news on recent releases and Click here for more on Iranian film.
Galleries
The following are some of the most respected galleries in Tehran, with a rotating roster of mainly contemporary artists that reflects the growing local and international profile of Iranian contemporary art. Check the websites for the latest exhibitions.
Seyhoun Art Gallery (Map; 8871 1305; www.seyhounartgallery.com; No 6, 4th St, off Khaled Eslamboli; 10am-6pm) In its 4th decade as a sponsor of young Iranian contemporary artists, Seyhoun has regular exhibitions of painting, photography, sculpture and graphic art in its distinctive, black-fronted gallery.
Mehrva Gallery (Map; 8893 9046; www.mehrvagallery.com; 78 Shahid Azodi St, off Karim Khan Zand Ave; 5-9pm) Below the popular Café Hafta-do Hasht, English-speaking Mehrva’s gallery exhibits contemporary art in a mix of media, but primarily painting and photography.
Silk Road Gallery (Map; 2272 7010; www.silkroadphoto.com; 112 Lavasani Ave, Farmanieh; 11am-7pm Sat-Wed, 5-8pm Thu) Silk Road’s primary focus is photographic art, but it also delves into other media. It’s professionally run and a pleasure to visit.
Music
There is still much debate in Iran about the religious eligibility of organised public performances of modern music, so getting approval for a rock concert, for example, is prohibitively hard. They do sometimes happen but it’s tough to find out where or when. Traditional and classical music is easier to find, though again dates are infrequent and not widely advertised in the English media. Your best bet is to call Tezatre Shahr (City Theatre; Map; 6646 0595) and keep your eye on trusty www.tehranavenue.com.
For a guaranteed performance, head to a traditional restaurant or teahouse (Click here for possibilities).
Nightclubs
Dream on.
Theatre
Tezatre Shahr (City Theatre; Map; 6646 0595; cnr Valiasr & Enqelab Aves) The huge, circular Tezatre Shahr is Tehran’s biggest and most impressive theatre and the place you’re most likely to see Iranian stage actors at work – performing in Farsi, of course. The booking staff speak English so call them to find out what’s coming up. Performances are normally at 6.30pm or 7.30pm and cost about IR25,000.
Sports
Iran’s favourite sport is football (soccer), which is played at several smaller stadiums and the giant-sized, 100,000-capacity Azadi Sports Stadium (off Map; Karaj Hwy). Matches are normally played on Thursday and Friday but to find out where, your best bet is to ask a man working in your hotel. If you can make it to the big Tehran derby between Esteqlal and Persepolis, then do (Click here) – assuming you are not a woman, that is.
The Azadi complex also stages wrestling and even motor racing – though for the latter you could save your time and money and just sit in the middle of any Tehran traffic circle. Most other sports are played behind high walls in small stadia around the city.
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SHOPPING
Souvenir shopping in Tehran is not as enjoyable as working your way through the atmospheric bazaars of Esfahan and Shiraz. However, the range in Tehran is bigger and the prices usually smaller. It’s well worth giving yourself a half-day to wander through the Tehran bazar Click here, where if you can’t find what you’re looking for, a carpet salesman will almost certainly find it for you – after you’ve stopped for tea, of course.
The bazaar is an excellent place to shop for carpets, in particular, and buying here usually means you won’t