How is Chaharshanbe Suri celebrated in Iran? On the eve of the last Wednesday of the year Chaharshanbe Soori (or, “Red Wednesday”) is celebrated. This ceremony is a purification ritual in which crowds gather in public places and jump over bonfires, sing traditional songs and repeat the phrase, “Give me your beautiful red color and take back my sickly pallor!” meaning that you take the fire’s heat and energy and...Read More
What is doogh? As the most unique drink in Iran served with foods in traditional restaurants and people’s houses. Doogh is a dairy based liquid, made from mixing sourer yogurt, water, herbal essences and salt. This combination makes it an ideal light counter balance to a high-carb meal. This yogurt-based beverage is very popular in Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Bulgaria, Jordan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and pretty much all over the...Read More
Where is Zoorkhaneh? In the time of the Persian Empire, the houses of strength (Zoorkhaneh) were dedicated places to train men as warriors and to encourage a sense of national pride in anticipation of upcoming battles. Today, no more than 500 of these traditional training rooms remain in Iran and about 20 in Tehran. Local athletes have taken action to preserve this heritage and to pass it down to future...Read More
What is a Qanat? Do you know in the past, how so much life emerged in the desert of Iran? Was there a miracle that to keep people alive in such areas?Iranian settlements did not develop around major rivers such as those in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Throughout the arid regions of Iran, Iranians settled near the foothills of mountains and at the heads of valleys, where natural springs and melting...Read More
What is Saffron? Saffron is a spice derived from inside of a flower called Crocus Sativus now known as the saffron flower. This flower is a plant with a relative height of 10 to 30 cm. Once a year, this plant grows into this beautiful purple flower and, inside each flower are 3 red filaments. Those 3 filaments are where the spice of saffron comes from. Since, each flower has...Read More
