The Streets of Tehran in Photos

Lonely planet sums up Tehran with one succinct quote: “Heavy traffic and make-up!”

During some short trips in and around Tehran I would hold the camera outside the window of whatever vehicle we were in and take snaps of the scenery/buildings flying by.

Just Good Friends

There were little Honda 100cc motorcycles everywhere and conveying all manner of things and more than enough people. The most number of people I saw on one of these little motorbikes was four but the camera was not at hand and I missed that opportunity.

Mural 1

There are many murals on the sides of buildings in Tehran. This mural shows the image of a man martyred in the Iran-Iraq war.

Mural 2

This mural shows this street, Naser Khosro Street, just as it was in 1931.

Mural on side of building

This photo was taken with my arm hanging out the window of the car firmly gripping the Canon 7D while my brother-in-law was negotiating the crazy Tehran traffic. Not an easy feat for me or my brother-in-law.

For decoration only

Lane markings on the road are just there for decoration and if you’re in the lane the car next to you wants to be in then so be it, they’ll take that and then some! You’ll notice most traffic on this one-way street is heading in the same direction as us, except for these temporary Iranians on their little Honda.

Every journey by car was an experience and I would breathe a sigh of relief when we arrived safely at our destination.

Tehran Streets

In the above photo, top right corner you can just see a mural of Iran’s Supreme Leader.

Just Chillaxing – nothing to see here, move along…

A photo taken from the back seat of a taxi that was part of the maelstrom of Tehran traffic.

A Hairy Experience

Sitting in the back of a taxi with no seat belts and this temporary Iranian on a motorcycle decides to come screaming out of a side road in front of us. The driver slammed on his brakes and I hit the shutter button and managed to nab this shot before sliding forward into the front seat. Driving/being a passenger in Tehran is a hairy experience.

Tehran Buildings 1

Tehran Buildings and Billboards – (left) Tehran Pizza

Various buildings in and around Tehran

My lovely wife said I kept taking photos of the worst buildings, but this is what I saw from the inside of a car whizzing past and I wanted to capture a bit of it as it was.

Visitors to a country always see something the locals don’t or have seen so often that it is just normal to them. Iran was new to me and I was snap-happy. We went everywhere by car and I wanted to capture a part of Tehran that I could review later at my leisure, and not while swerving to avoid some nut trying to maim us.

Next in Part 3: Dinner at an Iranian Tea House in the Damavand Mountains

Previously in Part 1: A Blond-Haired Australian in Iran

Photographs are copyright Bryan Freeman – All rights reserved.