Tehran Magicians: A Window into the Supernatural Commerce of 1950s Iran
In the bustling streets of mid-20th century Tehran, amid the political turbulence and modernization campaigns of Mohammad Reza Shah’s regime, a different world flourished in parallel — a world of mysticism, superstition, and arcane knowledge. On May 1, 1955, the widely-read Tehran Muswar magazine, in issue number 608, published an extraordinary illustrated report titled “Tehran Magicians”, unveiling the hidden yet widespread industry of fortune tellers, astrologers, palmists, exorcists, ascetics, and prayer writers who operated across the city.
According to the report, nearly 4,000 individuals — officially and unofficially — were engaged in the business of metaphysical guidance and supernatural intervention. An astonishing 30,000 people were said to visit these “magicians” on a daily basis, a testament to the depth of belief and desperation prevalent among Tehran’s citizens, from the urban poor to the elite. With daily revenues ranging between 3,000 and 5,000 rials, this clandestine network of mystics and spiritual healers formed a substantial economic ecosystem, deeply entrenched in the psyche of the city.