Iran Click on the photos to view larger images If you would like to buy poster prints of any of my photos, please contact me. These uploads have been scaled down hugely, but their original quality allows them to be printed very large. Prices depend on size, but as a guide, an A3 poster is approximately £30, or an A3 photograph is approximately £15. They can also be printed on canvas and perspex. Yazd             The desert city of Yazd lies between the Dasht-e Kavir and the Dasht-e Lut deserts, hence being somewhat hot! The old town is a sleepy maze of village style architecture lining narrow unsealed roads. These photos show - The Jamme Mosque is usefully lit by a local film crew A shoe repairer hard at work Street life. In Yazd Muslim men wearing these white robes were quite common, although I didn't see this elsewhere. Ayatollah, Banksy style! In the bazaar Camel stew, which makes an exciting break from kebab, although was still technically a load of meat with rice! A car parked in the old bazaar's covered streets In Yazd, I felt about 95% of women wore the chador, but throughout Iran, young girls are often dressed in typically girlie clothing, seemingly making the most of their fashion freedom whilst it is legal. This little girl will have to wear hijab clothing when she's 9 or 10 by law. Women and girls rarely wanted their photo taken, but these sisters were up for it! My hijab clothing makes my shadow appear to wear a burqa, which bothered me. In the bazaar, buying silk, which Yazd is famous for. Jamme Mosque Rooftop view of the old town Not so hard at work, but smiling at every passerby Village of Toudeshk Cho, Dasht-e Kavir Desert                   Spending time in the desert was the highlight of my time in Iran, the ingenious solutions to sustain village life are genuinely fascinating, and the 'moving sands' dunes, blasted by the wind, were an amazing sight. These photos show - Me, somewhat toasty! Footprints in the sand Down the dunes Boys with Toudeshk village behind them Jumping The view from a mountain I scrambled up Making bread at home Dunes Young girl carpet knotting - an almost inevitable career for desert village girls. She and her mother will work hard for a year to complete the 3 x 4m carpet, wrecking their eye sight in the process. Mountain bikes are very popular in the villages Mountain view Dunes Dunes This water resevoir keeps water fresh, storing it up to 7m underground. The two towers draw cool air in and warm air out, and the roof is domed so that one side is always in shade, which keeps the whole inside cool. Desert village Me, hot and sweaty! Dunes Sunset Abyaneh             To get to Abyaneh, I hitchhiked from outside the infamous Natanz Nuclear Facility which enriches uranium - I didn't realise the bus would drop me there! Sleeping in a vegetable sellers spare room was a perfect base to then wander through the mountains and fields. These photos show - Tractor working in the fields Donkeys are a common method of transportation and labour in rural Iran Bike man, one of my favourite photos from Iran A view of Abyaneh Walking out of the village early in the morning, I am offered breakfast. Iranian hospitality is unrivalled Eating with the locals The first scorpion I've ever seen. The yellow ones are more poisonous than the black, but less dangerous than red scorpions. Mountain view Donkey in field My Farsi phrasebook gets a workout outside of the cities Tractor in field Mountain view Esfahan was my favourite Iranian city because it was so alive at night, the bridges and park land were packed with families enjoying each other's company. I did not expect such 'nightlife' from Iran. Mr Reza is 78 and has been printing table cloths for 65 years Mr Reza's son is a carpet seller Esfahan bridges, alive at night Table cloth printing In the Islamic republic of Iran, passengers often segregate their sexes at bus stops On local buses throughout Iran the bus i divided in the middle, with women at the back and men at the front The Imam Mosque in Imam Square. Renier described Esfahan in the 16th century as 'half the world' One of 5 daily prayer times Brightly dyed chicks! Apparently this makes them more attractive to buy! Esfahan bridges, alive at night One of 5 daily prayer times Mosque detail Jameh Mosque Contemplation on the bridge Zagros Mountains     Looping my route so as to not repeat a bus journey in reverse, I braved the Zagros Mountains, which caused severe concern from a young over-protective Iranian man I met in Shiraz! They were great! These photos show - On a long distance bus I sit next to a 19 year old chador-clad girl reading the Quran. She communicated to me (mostly about God) by writing on a tissue. Her lack of awareness about western culture and other religions shocked me. The worst kebab I ate, at a bus terminal Stunning scenery Tehran         Tehran does not have the tourist draw cards of my other destinations, but walking around north Tehran in the evenings amongst the western-hungry Tehran elite was yet another experience I did not predict before arriving in this country full of juxtapositions. These photos show - Anti-US murals along the outer wall of the ex US embassy, now called the US Den of Espionage Bazaar boy A view of Tehran, from the Tocal Telecabin Anti-US murals along the outer wall of the ex US embassy, now called the US Den of Espionage Bazaar life Woman wrapped in a chador This billboard encouraging the use of chadors translates along the lines of saying chadors protect women in the same way as a lobsters shell Anti-US murals along the outer wall of the ex US embassy, now called the US Den of Espionage Shiraz     Shiraz failed to grab me as a city, but Persepolis is one of the very few historical sites that I have enjoyed! These photos show - The magnificent site of Persepolis Wall carvings at Persepolis show palace security welcoming guests from around the world Nasir-Ol-Molk Mosque If you would like to buy poster prints of any of my photos, please contact me. These uploads have been scaled down hugely, but their original quality allows them to be printed very large. Prices depend on size, but as a guide, an A3 poster is approximately £30, or an A3 photograph is approximately £15. They can also be printed on canvas and perspex. These photos were taken on a Canon G9 camera always on manual setting, and edited in Apple's Aperture. All images © Chloe Kenward chloe@chloekenward.com +44 7852 922 285 |
