Mrs. Louis Dreyfus, wife of the U.S. Minister to Iran, distributes food and medicine to poor children of Southern Tehran in 1943.

During the 1930s the traditional Iranian style of wrestling were replaced with the international style. Later on the exercises for the traditional wrestling was renamed to "Varzesh-e Bastani" (the ancient sport).

Pages from a Persian textbook for the second grade students published in 1960. (Source: M. Ghaed)

Childhood photos of some Iranian figures of art, literature, politics, and pop culture.

The post-revolutionary Iranian cigarettes. The first two cigarettes (Oshnoo and Homa) were among the cigarettes that used to be produced in the pre-revolutionary years as well.

Placing Islamic inscriptions (mostly words from Quran) over the entrances to the houses, business places, or public buildings used to be common in the past. It seems placing these words on the entrances has its roots in an older tradition that sees a supernatural power in words.

Seven Iranian passports from 1885, 1911, 1933, 1942, 1956, 1963, and 1971.

What is officially called the “culture of martyrdom” in Iran is omnipresent in every Iranian cityscapes. Martyrdom could be seen everywhere. On the walls, in the names of the streets, and on the public water fountains.

An Iranian Restaurant in Virginia, June 2005.

Walking in the Iranian streets one always can see the never-ending process of street maintenance and repairs that might continue for quite a long time. The result of these constant repairs are manhole covers, grates and water valves that are part scenery in every Iranian city and town.

A public bath in Shiraz. Pictures taken in June 2006.

The Qajar king, Fath-Ali Shah (1772 – 1834) loved to have his image on large scale canvasses, frescoes, and reliefs, showing the grandeur of his imperial appearance. Most of his oil painting portraits are painted by Mirza Baba and Mehr-Ali.

Pages from a textbook for Iranian first grade students published in the last years of the world War II. (Source: ISNA)

Iranian living spaces consist of different clean and unclean areas defined by social and religious cleanliness codes. To have access to the unclean areas, one needs a very necessary device: Dampayee (Sandals).

Murals in Tehran used to have mostly political and revolutionary themes but from the early 90s a new style of mural emerged, which is merely decorative.