Taleghan

Taleghan is a beautiful village near Qazvin (Ghazvin) but located in Tehran province. It's around 80 Miles away from city of Tehran, the capital of Iran and among the Alborz Mountains.
Taleghan which is also pronounced in Persian as Talaghan, means mine of gold. Taleghani people are well educated comparing other country and villages in Iran. the most famous people of modern Taleghan are Ayotollah Taleghani, Jalal Al e Ahmad, Omidvar brothers and Colonel Fallahi.

Taleghan is nearly including 100 smaller villages and countries. I have travelled across some of them. there are people in these villages who haven't even travelled to a neighbour village at the ages of 50!! but as I said, most of them are civilized and even well educated.


here are some views from Koolaj village in the heart of Taleghan:

Khorramshahr city - Khuzistan Province

Khorramshahr was Iran's and Persian Gulf's biggest port before Iran\s revolution in 1979. During the war between Iran and Iraq which were clearly imposed by Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein in those ages, Khorramshahr destroyed and ruined after Iraqi invasion.

Now, after nearly 26 years from the beginning of the war, Khorramshahr is still a poor and lorn land, with heavy casualties you can see in your own eye every where in the city.

a view of a ruined house during the war in 1981 (picture took in 2006)

A poor guy sleeping in the street, while the temperature is around 50 Centigrade (120 Fahrenheit) and the humidity is nearly 100%!

I traveled to Tabriz and some near places over there in Norooz holidays. Kandovan Village is one of them. Kandovan is a village inside the mountains in a high altitude Zagros sierra. the people of Kandovan live in houses dug inside the mountains and their income is from selling Dairies, meet, wool, Honey and dried vegetables.
this is a view of Kandovan village:


Handcrafts are also among these people's business. People in Moghan, Ardebil, Sabalan and Tabriz knit and weave Kilims (Gelim) from wool and silk. beneath you can see a sample (for more sample go to Iranian Handcrafts website)


if you got same experiences or want to know more about Azerbayjan, please do not hesitate to comment it here or send me emails to emad at irxp . com

Y! answers is an amazing place! few days ago I just dumped in to a page, and saw it is completely different from what I'd seen years ago! I looked at some questions and found this one interesting:

If Christianity really is the true religion....?
Then what will happen to the devout Muslims, Buddists, Hindus and so on who were taught that their religions were right. Will they go to hell?

I really thought I got my words to say, so I replied:

I am a muslim, but not a radical and extrimist one! I believe in god and in being good to others. let me review your word: "Will they go to hell?"
and let me put it this way:
why did I become a muslim, and you became a christian? cause your parents were christians and mine were muslims!! so none of us decided to be something! and next, if you belive in god as the Just & Clement Creator, don't you think it is injustice to send to hell someone for what he/she hadn't chosen??

we all will be judged due to what we have done to other people (and even animals, environment and ourselves regarding my own belief)
as the last example I cannot imagine Hitler going to heaven cause he was a christian and Ghandi going to hell because he wasn't!

and... my answer got the best answer's award! cheers!

I had some partners from Malaysia 4 years ago and since I enjoyed the relation with them, mutual respect and kind behavior, I was really interested to see the country and its countrymen, especially because I had been heard a lot about the beauties.
By the way I had the chance to visit Malaysia just last week for 4 days. I got to Kualalampour, Putrajaya, Sunway and some other cities over there, but the facts I saw by myself were regretfully and unfortunately different and so far away from the view I’d made of Malaysia in my mind before.
First thing I noticed was an extremely rude treatment by their people from taxi drivers, tour guides and even hotel receptionists.
Taxi drivers usually do not use taxi meters and almost always cheat on transport costs. I think the government has not enough influence on them in this matter. I stayed in grand season hotel which claims to be the tallest hotel of Malaysia, but I have to say, as a four star hotel, the service was so poor to considered as a good accommodation solution. I experienced problems with bathroom and air condition system, and the elevators were always so late to pick you up. I talked to some other guests and they agreed with me on these points.
By the way, I left the country to Singapore, a completely different experience from Malaysia! Singapore was exactly organized and disciplined at the other hand and can be a good model for Malaysian governors.

Tehran is extremely poluted these days. take a look:

it's Tehran's Mossalla's view from my office (PersianBlog)

the same view in a day which Tehran is less poluted!Believe or not, there is no photoshop edition! you can't see the mountains in many days! and there's something else: everyday 27 of Tehran citizens die regarding the polution (Etemad e Melli daily 9 Jan 2007)

Gold down, Oil down and ... US dollar down! what else American economists and merchants would expect? lower USD rates goes in oposite of GB Pound and Euro, higher the amount of international transactions take place in dollar scale.
today I wrote an article in my persian blog (business-iran.persianblog.com) about the side effects of stable and lowered gold and oil price on Iran's economy. the main thing I have mentioned is about its effect on national inflation and the rate of domestic investment through the people's saving money.

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Handcraft businesses should boost up Iran's international trade fairs in my point of view. there're two paralel and related markets: Travel and Tourism vs Handcrafts and handmade artworks. both have roots in cultural issues and native attraction of ancient civilizations like Iran.
My experience shows foriegn travelers get shocked by the facts of Iran in their first visits. one of the most strong reasons is the impact of their local medias which are not imparial in my opinion.
by the way Iran has a great potential for handcraft market with original ideas, good quality and low prices. just to give it an example Iranian Bamboos are unknown to the most of people while they know Indian and African Bamboo well.