The culture of beauty, vanity and plastic surgery in Iran is an aspect of the culture that greatly fascinates me, seeming unexpectedly so far from what we are used to in the West. The trend of facial tattooing is particularly popular among the female youths of Iran, having emerged within the last 20 years. In England atContinue reading “The Fine Lines of Iran”
Author Archives: zarairene
The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque – مسجد شیخ لطف الله
The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Esfahan is an impressive piece of architecture. Located on the Nasqh-e Jahan Square, the mosque is something not to be missed. Built between 1602 and 1619 during the reign of Shah Abbas I, it was later given to the ruler’s father-in-law, Sheikh Lotfollah, a scholar of Islam from Lebanon. TheContinue reading “The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque – مسجد شیخ لطف الله”
Unedited History – Iran 1960-2014
Exhibition runs to: 23rd March. Opening times: Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun 11am – 7pm Sat 11am-10pm Address: Via Guido Reni, 4/a, Rome Wesbite: http://www.fondazionemaxxi.it/ ______________________________________________________________________________________ The MAXXI contemporary museum in Rome is currently holding an exhibition, entitled ‘The Unedited History of Iran’. It is displaying over 200 works by 20 artists and takes you through several chronological chapters ofContinue reading “Unedited History – Iran 1960-2014”
The Iranian Nose
What is with the craze of nose surgery in Iran? Every other day, or in Tehran generally every day, you see somebody who has a plaster stuck over their nose. This means, according to fellow locals, that the person has recently undergone nose surgery. I find it interesting that people in Iran who have hadContinue reading “The Iranian Nose”
The Solo Female Traveller in Iran
When traveling alone, and particularly as a woman, one common question is ‘is it safe?’. With regards to Iran, I think anyone would ask themselves if it is safe, regardless of gender, due to the common perceptions of the country. Concerning Iran, I feel safe there as a woman. That answer may be biased basedContinue reading “The Solo Female Traveller in Iran”
Iran’s Alternative to Persian Food
Persian cuisine is something to definitely be proud of. With dishes made with glorious saffron, to perfectly spiced stews and dishes cooked with pomegranates, the list goes on and on. In the UK in particular, Persian food is becoming more popular. With various well-known chefs cooking traditional Persian food and writing cookery books about theContinue reading “Iran’s Alternative to Persian Food”
The Naqsh-e Jahan square میدان نقش جهان – Essential for any Itinerary in Iran
Esfahan is my favourite city in Iran. Grand, majestic and alluring. It is so appealing as it is so very green in comparison to other drier areas of the country like Mashhad. Esfahan has a certain charm and appeal that is hard to find elsewhere in Iran. It is a favourite destination for tourists and indeedContinue reading “The Naqsh-e Jahan square میدان نقش جهان – Essential for any Itinerary in Iran”
Getting A Visa to Visit Iran
Another Iran is about travel around Iran. Therefore I feel that logically one of the first blog posts should give some information about how to enter the country. Iran is often missed on a traveler list due to the fact that they have to apply for a visa. This can be a difficult, slow andContinue reading “Getting A Visa to Visit Iran”
Welcome to Another Iran
Iran – by reading the name of that country, a couple of things may have come to mind. With recent headlines, they were probably all related to nuclear power. Being half-Iranian, having lived in Iran and by going there pretty much every summer of my life, I feel the need to write this blog. IContinue reading “Welcome to Another Iran”
Another Iran 