Until the first half of the 1950s, firewood vendors were among the most essential yet overlooked figures in the daily life of Tehran. In an era when modern energy sources such as kerosene, gas oil, and later piped gas had not yet become widespread, firewood was the primary and most reliable fuel for heating homes, cooking food, and sustaining daily …

Dariush Asadzadeh (December 1, 1923 – September 2, 2019) was one of the most enduring and versatile figures of modern performing arts in his country. Active for more than seven decades, he left a lasting mark on theater, cinema, radio, television, and cultural historiography. His career unfolded across multiple generations, political transformations, and artistic movements, allowing him to become both …

The month of 1340 in the Iranian calendar marked a significant moment in the cultural and political life of Iran, a time when modernization was no longer merely a slogan but a visible, tangible project that extended into everyday life, technology, and even personal taste. Among the many symbolic events of that period, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi’s visit to the …

The sudden death of Sina Ghaemi in a tragic accident in Nigeria has sent shockwaves through the world of professional boxing, sports science, and beyond. For more than a decade, Ghaemi was far more than a trainer to two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. He was a confidant, a strategist, a physical architect of one of boxing’s most formidable athletes, …

On Monday, January 27, 2021, the opening ceremony of the Diplomacy and Resistance Conference was held at the Center for Political and International Studies (IPIS) of Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event coincided with the sixth anniversary of the martyrdom of Lieutenant General Hajj Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps …

In the mid-1950s, Iran stood at a complex crossroads of modernization and deprivation. While the Pahlavi state promoted images of progress, urban development, and medical advancement—particularly in Tehran—the realities of everyday life for large segments of the population remained deeply marked by poverty, inequality, and institutional fragmentation. One of the starkest illustrations of this contradiction can be found in the …

By the mid-1950s, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi had emerged from the most dangerous crisis of his reign with a renewed sense of authority and historical purpose. The overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953, engineered with the decisive involvement of British and American intelligence services, marked a turning point not only in Iran’s political trajectory but also in the …

Christmas (French: Noël) is one of the most significant and widely celebrated holidays in the Christian world, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Over centuries, Christmas has evolved from a purely religious observance into a complex cultural, social, and even secular event observed by billions of people across continents. Its history reflects theological debates, cultural exchanges, political transformations, and deep …

Reza Shah Pahlavi (15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944), born Reza Khan, was one of the most consequential figures in modern Iranian history. Rising from humble origins as a military officer to become Shah of Iran, he founded the Pahlavi dynasty and ruled the country from 1925 until 1941. His reign marked a decisive break with Iran’s pre-modern political …

The Nativity of Jesus Christ—also known as the birth of Christ or the birth of Jesus—stands at the heart of Christian theology, liturgy, and cultural memory. It is one of the most widely depicted, commemorated, and interpreted events in religious history. The narrative of Jesus’ birth is primarily preserved in the canonical Gospels of Matthew and Luke, which, while differing …