25. February 2026
In 1933, the contract for the North–South railway was signed with the Danish engineering company Kampsax. The project began with its most formidable challenge: the Northern Alborz Mountains, rising sharply toward the Caspian coast.
Several European companies had already failed to force a railway through the Alborz range. The greatest obstacle lay in the steep incline leading to the Gaduk Tunnel and the vast valley carved between two mountains. It seemed almost impossible terrain for a train.
29. December 2025
The room fell silent as everyone drifted away. Sunlight slowly poured through the two large windows — in Tehran, there is always an abundance of it. Sitting at the warm desk, I wondered how often we judge people we know nothing about. If I had been born somewhere in those mountains between Pakistan and China, wouldn’t my fate have unfolded differently? Would I have been a strict Muslim woman? And would anyone have even thought to ask me?
KOLO · 12. December 2025
The days rushed forward unnoticed; I spent most of them at the university, continuing to study the Persian language. My second Nowruz was approaching. At some point, the streets of Tehran became surprisingly empty. Although the peaks of the Elburz Mountains were still smoking with white snowstorms, the city was already noticeably warming up.
KOLO · 03. November 2025
In Iran, there is genuine male friendship and its own philosophy of relationships. "To offend friends is to please enemies," says a Persian proverb. And the common expression "Fada'i dorī," which literally translates as "You have a slave," speaks of loyalty. The phrase took root in everyday language back in the days of the ancient Assassins. Have you ever heard of them?
29. July 2025
The moment finally arrived: we were driving towards the Caspian Sea, heading north into the province of Mazandaran. In the Middle Ages, this region was known as Tabaristan, and human history here stretches back to the mid-10th millennium BC.
09. April 2025
Opening the curtains, I let the sunlight of a new day fill the room and, tiptoeing past my mother-in-law's room, hurried to the kitchen to have some coffee. We decided to have breakfast outdoors.
HURMA · 12. November 2023
Thanks to their colors, these mountains attract many visitors and nature photographers. Moreover, very contrasting color stripes glow most intensely after rain.