Tehran from the sofa

1. A virtual visit

There are at least two Tehran. The noisy and polluted city suffered by neighbors and visitors, and, overshadowed by it, another of surprising gardens, fountains and museums, which lives on in the nostalgia of its most veteran inhabitants and that new generations try to preserve. From home it is easier to avoid the first one.

enlarge photo A Pollock mural exhibited at the TMoCa in Tehran in 2015. b. mehri AFP

In Laleh Park, in the urban heart, is the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, one of the least promoted jewels in the city, whose collections include works by Picasso, Miró, Saura, Jasper Jones, Kandinsky, Monet, Magritte, Jackson Pollock and Warhol, among others. Opened in 1977 at the initiative of Farah Diba, the wife of the last Shah, the gallery houses the best collection of modern art in the Middle East. Since the revolution that rocked the country two years later, most of these jewels - Calder's mobiles or Brancusi, Giacometti and Moore's sculptures do form part of the permanent exhibition - have been confined to basements; Contrary to the opinion of some exalted, they were neither destroyed nor sold. But was not Iran such an anti-western country? It depends where you look. The Spy Nest MuseumAs the Islamic Republic renamed the headquarters of the United States Embassy, ​​it offers another perspective. It is often closed, so you have to settle for the revolutionary murals that adorn the outer wall. To cover the diversity of this macro-city in which a fifth of the 83 million Iranians live, it is convenient to go up to the Milad Tower , irreverently known among the Iranian youth as Kir-e Tehran ( Tehran's cock).

2. A movie

Between the documentary and the docudrama, few films capture as Taxi Tehran the bustling and tortured soul of the Iranian capital. Ignoring the ban on driving the one he was convicted of, Jafar Panahi got behind the wheel of a shared taxi in 2015 and placed his camera on the dashboard. Through that confessional pass a conservative man who defends the death penalty, a woman who opposes it, a pirate video vendor, an old friend of the director and even human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotudeh, imprisoned shortly after. Everyone shows their concerns. When Panahi picks up his niece Hana the contradiction of the system is revealed: he has to record a short as class work in which he is asked not to give a bad image of the country and, at the same time, he is encouraged to express himself freely.

3. A recipe

Fesenyan, a stew made from pomegranate juice and chopped walnuts, is one of the most surprising dishes in Persian cuisine (and an alternative to the ubiquitous kebab). Carries:

enlarge photo Getty

• 8 skinless chicken thighs.
• 200 grams of walnuts.
• Half a liter of chicken broth (or water).
• 100 grams of pomegranate syrup (cook a large glass of pomegranate juice with 8 tablespoons of sugar until halved).
• 1 large onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder, 2 or 3 tablespoons of honey, oil, black pepper and salt.

In a saucepan, put the seasoned thighs in the hot oil, turning until golden. Reserve. Poach the chopped onion until transparent; add the minced garlic for a couple of minutes. Work the nuts with the mixer or in a mortar. When the garlic begins to take color, add the cinnamon and black pepper to taste, stir well and add the nuts; stir again and water with the broth or water. Now add the pomegranate syrup, honey and chicken.

When it starts to boil, lower the heat and cook half an hour with the casserole covered. The result should be a creamy sauce. It is served accompanied by white rice (basmati) and can be decorated with pomegranate grains.

4. A typical home

The demographic changes that followed the Islamic revolution and the subsequent brick fever have filled Tehran with bland skyscrapers. Except for a lucky few who still retain the old family garden homes in the city center or the new rich who have built villas in the north, most Tehranis live in flats. Even so, it is possible to get an idea of ​​the past splendor by visiting the palaces of the Qajar era (the dynasty that made Tehran the country's capital in 1786). Often hidden in the parks and gardens that currently dot the city, today they house museums, such as the Time Museum or the Cinema Museum ; artists' associations or coffee shops such as the Chai Bar (@chaibartehran).

5. A song

Each Tehrani has his favorite song. Peyman chooses Shahr-e man Tehran (My City, Tehran) from Fereydoun Farrokhzad; Maral prefers Andy Madadian's Daram miram be Tehran (I want to go to Tehran). But probably the one that best reflects the city today is the Tehran of Siavash Ghomayshi, whose video is perfect to enjoy from the living room. They are very different compositions in style and time, but they all show nostalgia for the lost city. Not surprisingly, most Iranian singers live in exile (or work underground) due to the limitations that the Islamic Republic places on music. The Islamists who have controlled power since the 1979 revolution, who barely admit traditional and classical music, censor Western sounds and forbid women musicians or singers to perform alone in public; something that has not prevented the voices of Parisa, Sima Bina, Ghashang Kamkar Gisu Shakeri or Googoosh from being heard in many homes.

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