A Zoroastrian plate from Iran, now hanging on the wall of our breakfast room.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Two friends and I wanted to visit the bazaar in Tehran while we were there. \u00a0(He is a historian of Islamic philosophy; she was \u2014 unfortunately, she died some years ago, far too young \u2014 an anthropologist with a focus on the Middle East. \u00a0At the time, they were on research leave in Pakistan from their American university.) \u00a0Bazaars \u2014 like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and Khan al-Khalili in Cairo \u2014 are culturally fascinating places. \u00a0But, although none of us was really much of a shopper, we also thought it might be nice to have something<\/em> from Iran.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
We persuaded the powers-that-were to line up a car and a driver for us. \u00a0(It quickly became obvious that the driver was working for the Iranian Foreign Ministry and that he was assigned, in part, to keep an eye on us.)<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the event, our shopping experience was fairly disappointing, as souvenir-hunting goes. \u00a0The driver didn\u2019t take us to a fascinating medieval bazaar \u2014 Tehran is, on the whole, a very modern city; it wasn\u2019t overly extensive or significant in the classical, medieval period \u2014 but, rather, to a souvenir shop located across the street from the former embassy of the United States. \u00a0And that<\/em> was both surprising and absolutely fascinating.<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
First, though, the souvenir shop: \u00a0It must have been the most desirable location possible back in the day, when the embassy was in operation. \u00a0(Tehran\u2019s was the largest American embassy in the Middle East, in its heyday.) \u00a0Now, though, it was quite forlorn. \u00a0There were a couple of German tourists in the largish shop but nobody else, until we entered. \u00a0The shopkeeper heard us speaking English among ourselves and asked whether we were Americans. \u00a0When we answered \u201cYes,\u201d he almost danced with excitement. \u00a0\u201cYou\u2019re back!\u201d he said. \u00a0\u201cNot really,\u201d we responded, cautioning him not to get his hopes up. \u00a0Not wanting to disappoint him entirely, though, I bought a little plate with an image of the Zoroastrian deity Ahura Mazda on it, bearing the inscription \u201cGood Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.\u201d \u00a0(See above.)<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then we went out to look at the former embassy, which has evidently been turned into a kind of museum focused on the evils of the United States and which was emblazoned with anti-American slogans in both Persian and English \u2014 including the ever-fresh \u201cDeath to America!\u201d as well as anti-American murals (featuring such charming elements as the Statue of Liberty with a skull for a head, and so forth). \u00a0I\u2019m not much of a photographer, but I snapped a few pictures \u2014 and then had to defend myself against a guard who wanted to confiscate my camera. \u00a0(As it is, I no longer know where the photos are, anyway, so that was a lot of shouting and tension with not much to show for it.)<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
You can read the account here of a British woman who actually gained access to the former embassy and who provides some helpful photographs:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cInside The \u2018Den of Espionage\u2019 \u2013 Former US Embassy in Tehran\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 Two friends and I wanted to visit the bazaar in Tehran while we were there. \u00a0(He is a historian of Islamic philosophy; she was \u2014 unfortunately, she died some years ago, far too young \u2014 an anthropologist with a focus on the Middle East. \u00a0At the time, they were on research leave in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[4012,4009,864,66,996,1110,761,4018,4015],"class_list":["post-71311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-american","tag-embassy","tag-iran","tag-islam","tag-middle-east","tag-persia","tag-persian","tag-tehran","tag-united-states"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"Ahura](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2019\/03\/IMG_0149.jpg\")
<\/a>